


To know the Light, you must see the Dark

by JediAstromech



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Ending, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force Visions, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Jedi, Lightsabers, Order 66, Post-Order 66, Redemption, Sacrifice, Sequel, The Force, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:41:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 49,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JediAstromech/pseuds/JediAstromech
Summary: What if the mission on Nur didn't end as expected ?A story in which Trilla is the one who defeats Cal in the Fortress Inquisitorius. Vader has his own plans for the future.Alternate ending and aftermath of Star Wars Jedi : Fallen OrderI try to take into account as much as possible the Star Wars Legends and Canon lore.
Relationships: Cal Kestis/Trilla Suduri | Second Sister
Comments: 87
Kudos: 104





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, I lack of experience, though I wanted to try as these ideas of alternate endings have been in my head for a while now.  
> I am really sorry if some mistakes hinder your lecture, I am not a native English speaker, though I do my best to produce something at least decent -I hope.  
> I wanted to write it in English as it is a nice way to combine my passion for Star Wars and to practice my English skills.
> 
> I like writing the dialogues and thoughts in italics, I think it emphasizes them more than usual quotation marks. Sorry if it bothers you, though I know other authors do it too.
> 
> Here is the list of the sources I have used for this Fic.
> 
> The Star Wars Movies (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, Rogue One)
> 
> TV shows :
> 
> The Clone Wars  
> Star Wars Rebels
> 
> Video Games :
> 
> Star Wars Jedi : Fallen Order  
> Knights of the Old Republic I, II  
> Star Wars the Old Republic  
> Jedi Outcast  
> Jedi Academy
> 
> Comics (Legends and Canon) :  
> Dawn of the Jedi  
> Knights of the Old Republic  
> Jedi Fallen Order Dark Temple  
> Clone Wars/Republic  
> Darth Maul son of Dathomir  
> Dark Times  
> Darth Vader : Dark Lord of the Sith  
> Empire  
> Legacy
> 
> Books/Novels :  
> The Jedi Path  
> Book of Sith  
> SW TOR Revan  
> Darth Bane Trilogy  
> Darth Plagueis  
> Dark Lord : The rise of Darth Vader  
> Episode III  
> Tarkin  
> The courtship of princess Leia  
> The Jedi Academy Trilogy  
> The Black Fleet Crisis  
> Legacy of the Force  
> Fate of the Jedi
> 
> Website : Wookieepedia for other useful information and little details

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may consider a background music while reading the prologue.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecvpq_b590c

**** **To know** **the Light,** **you must see the Dark**

**What if the** **mission** **on Nur didn’t end as expected ?**

**Prologue**

The Fortress Inquisitorius was scary enough in itself. The fact that Trilla Suduri, Cere Junda’s former apprentice, was also trying to cut him down was simply another reason why this place was not enjoyable. The suffocating heat, the torture chair in the center of the interrogation chamber, the echo of the sufferings of all the poor souls, Jedi or not, who had ended up here made the air toxic for Cal Kestis. Sweat was dripping all over his face, sticking his fiery red hair on his skin. His lightsaber was his only shield, a yellow blade glowing in the steam coming from the lava below them which made the room cloudy. BD-1 was quiet on his back, not that he could do anything to help at the moment.

Though he knew he could not turn back, Cal was exhausted, the fight was far more intense than any other he had experienced so far, even against Malicos, even against the Ninth Sister. Yet, he had a mission, a purpose, he had to recover the Holocron and save the lives of all the innocent children on that list. He was whole again, one with the Force, a new Jedi Knight, he could not fail, it was his duty.

They had been fighting over the last twenty minutes, though it seemed to him it had taken ages. Cal was aware it should not have been so long, the mission was jeopardized. Furthermore, Cal’s strength was slightly giving him up while Trilla seemed far more powerful and feral than in their previous confrontations. Cal did his best to keep his expression focus, to stand without giving ground to his rival. Nonetheless, her attacks never stopped, strong and precise, coming from above, below and the sides, everywhere, undermining his guard and tearing apart his defenses. Lightsabers clashed again and again, when it was not a Force push or a Force wave. Despite his skills and efforts to remain in the center of the platform, she kept leading him to the edge of the interrogation chamber where they fought, trying to make him topple over it, or to corner him near the entrance door. Cal kept moving, dodging, backwards, on the sides, never forward. He had no time to launch his own attacks, he knew he had lost the upper hand since the beginning of the fight. If the duel was to continue like this, the end would be grim. And Trilla knew it too. She kept taunting him as her weapon was swirling all over the place : _I’ll bring your head to Cere, this is the end for you Padawan._

Cal was scared, she felt it, but he would never give up, the Force had been with him and he still felt its recomforting energy within and around him. When their lightsabers clashed again and illuminated their faces, hues of red and yellow, close to one another, Cal took his chance and gazed at Trilla.

- _Trilla, I know what you’ve been through. You’ve experienced great suffering. It’s not too late to let it go._

_-Let go?_

Besides her gritted teeth, her sweaty dark hair and face, her now yellowish eyes, her will and strength were threatening. She looked like a predator gauging its prey, her anger palpable.

- _I’m stronger now because of the pain._

She said it with so much hatred while breaking the lightsaber contact that Cal retreated a few steps instinctively, catching his breath.

Her twisted smile was again despising him, she moved one hand behind her back and took the Holocron to show it to Cal. _I knew you’d come back for this. No thank you. You’ll never make it out of this place alive !_

Her smirk was replaced by her usual combat stance. As she was about to launch another assault, Cal resumed his defensive position, but something felt suddenly heavier in the room, a darkness deeper than it had been until now. Yet not visible. Trilla seemed to feel it too, and she also seemed more confident than she already was. Cal would not win, he was now sure of it, he was running out of options, and he had not a single idea of how he would get away this time. So he tried again to reach her.

- _Trilla, when I touched your lightsaber I saw everything, I know what they did to you, it was not your fault, you still have a choice._ He hated how his voice sounded so desparate, like if he admitted his own demise.

_-_ _Spare me your pathetic attempts, you are_ _blind,_ _as_ _weak and feeble as the rest of your petty Order._

- _You were part of it_ _too_ _, it’s in you, I know there is still a spark of light in you, I feel it_ _and you kn_ _…_

At first she had slightly lowered her weapon as he started his attempt to reach her inner and former Jedi soul, but it only led to a surge of rage which exploded in her as she suddenly used the Force to speed up her movements and rushed towards him, slashing and piercing his meager defense. Surprisingly, she didn’t use the lightsaber to kill him as he was defenseless, his lightsaber still in his hand, though the tip of the blade crackled against the floor. She instead turned it off and grab his face with her gloved hands. At first Cal was confused and did not understand but the immediate pain was horrible, unbearable, it was like if she drained his very Force and vital energy, his soul, it was something from the Dark Side, his energy was leaving him and he could not withstand. It stopped as suddenly as it had started, he felt dizzy, sick and the heavy kick she landed on his chest with her boot completely took the light breath he had left. The shock sent BD-1 away, a few meters behind them while he whistled, terrified. Cal fell on the floor, his saber left his right hand and the blade disappeared. Immediately, her own red blade was right on his neck. He had lost, it was over.

_-I’ll give you that, you may be either brave either the most stupid being in the galaxy. Any last words ?_ Her pride in the Force was irradiating, smug and ferocious, she was doing what she had kept doing since their first encounter on Bracca, toying with him. Cal felt a tremor in the Force, knotting his stomach, the darkness would prevail, and he had failed again, to honor his master’s sacrifice and teachings, to prevent the children’s fate, to save Trilla from herself, from the Empire, to do what Cere, Merrin, Greez and BD entrusted him.

- _..._ _I...I’m sorry. For everything._

She looked both surprised and eager to end it as her red blade cast a blinding scarlet light on his face, making his scars more visible.

- _Oh?_ _Is that all ? As I will now end your meaningless life here,_ _is that all_ _you can say to admit your complete failure ? Here I thought you could not be more ludicrous than you’ve been so far._

BD-1 beeped as mightily as he could afford while rushing towards them, wishing to protect his master though Trilla sent him carelessly flying across the room to knock it out against the sealed door. The impact switched it off and BD fell in a heap.

- _BD ! You wi…_ His anger was a sudden change of his presence in the Force, though too weak to break free of her hold.

She pressed her boot deeper in his chest, she could feel the impact on his bones and lungs, she could break him so easily now. He coughed in reaction of her action. Yet there was still this light, this fire in his eyes, a fiery determination despite the lack of hope. Naively believing that he was right, that he did what the Force wanted him to accomplish. The fool, he was merely a puppet, a slave and he will pay this last mistake with his life, or something worse. Still, he managed to defy her.

- _Whatever you do, you’ll never be at peace with yourself_ _in the Empire_ _, you’ll never be free as long as you stay with the Empire…_ _Y_ _ou didn’t kill me on Bogano when you had all the time to do it,_ _think about it..._

She didn’t flinch for a second, her senses probed his mind, she felt his fear, his determination and his anger, against her, but even more against himself. To a certain extent, she respected his commitment, though it was also the cause of his failure, he was what she was no longer, she had seen what kind of power the Dark Side offered to survive, while he hooked on the Light. In a place where no room was available to have a grip on the Light Side, it was suicide, and he had done it until the end.

He could feel the pressure, but she had not landed the final blow yet. He knew he was right, she had fallen to the Dark Side, she was broken, but she also had a part of her that was not fully corrupted, even if she tried to conceal it.

She looked at him for a few long, very long seconds, her face neutral though her eyes switched back and forth from the yellow hue to her regular color. Then, she scowled, the hatred came back, even stronger that it had been so far but not against him, with a swift movement of her hand, his lightsaber came to hers and she launched a strong Force push towards a dark shadow who jumped from the roof above them. Cere Junda, her former master, the one who had betrayed her was thrown away against the same door BD-1 had collided with. She fell to the floor but quickly recovered and stood up. Trilla did not waste a second and jumped across the room, leaving Cal on the floor, both lightsabers in her hands alight. Seeing Trilla with both red and yellow blades aiming at her, Cere raised her blaster and screamed her name.

-NO !

Cal raised his hand to freeze Trilla in the air, but he was weak, tired, his fear and pain undermined his focus, his power didn’t work. Trilla cut down the blaster first and gained ground on Cere who turned on Trilla’s former lightsaber picked up by Cal on Bogano. Red blades trying to counter Trilla who launched merciless assaults. In a few seconds, the rusty skills of Cere vanished, Trilla hit the hilt with one blade and both Cere’s knees with the other. The scream of pain squeezed Cal’s mind and heart, how could they have failed like this ? How could the will of the Force lead them to this situation ? Cere was defeated, so he was.

Trilla didn’t leave Cere time to fall to the ground nor to gasp, she immediately used the Force to choke her and sent her flying across the room, hitting the walls, the torture chair in the center, making noises of broken bones, Cere’s pain reached Cal while Trilla looked possessed as she slowly manhandled her former master. She threw Cere right on the floor in front of her. And walked slowly towards her, blades still alight as Cere looked at her helpless.

- _I have been waiting a long time for this,_ _dreaming_ _to finally see you pay and die like the coward you’ve always been. Master._

She spit the last word with so much hate that Cal was paralysed, waiting for the inevitable outcome.

Cal tried to get up, slowly gathering his strength to stand but Trilla purely ignored him.

- _I wonder, how am I going to kill you ? Y_ _our_ _throat ? Your heart ? Your head ? There are lots of ways to end this._

 _-Trilla... You still have a choice._ Cal was up, but suddenly unable to move, frozen in place. He didn’t know how Trilla’s power could have taken so much energy from him, but all he could do was to reason her. Or at least try…

Cere looked at Trilla’s eyes, the latter dominating her. She glared back intensively, her grip firm on the hilts of the lightsabers. The steam in the room making it even more horrible in Cal’s views.

As tears appear in Cere’s eyes, she simply said, without a hint of hope _I have failed you Trilla. I have failed you, but I won’t beg you. Do it._

_-_ _No preachings ? How kind of you._

_-Trilla, please don’t_ _do that_ _, think of the_ _childr_ _…_ The smirk had disappeared on Trilla’s face as she slightly choked Cal without even giving him a look, just to keep him quiet, just to be preserved from his annoying comments at this particular moment.

Slow but audible footsteps as well as an unnatural breathing came from above the roof above the torture chair. A dark figure was approaching, threatening and making the atmosphere dreadful. As he fully emerged from the smoke and the shadows, Cal recognized the deep darkness he had felt earlier, the most terrifying thing he had ever felt, worse than his master’s death, worse than his visions, worse than the darkness on Dathomir or the Shadowlands on Kashyyyk or even the Inquisitors. Even Trilla seemed to be bright against him, smaller and suddenly less intidimating. He felt Cere’s fear and sense of defeat.

The figure jumped from above and landed next to the two women. Cal was still frozen in place, unable to do anything except watch, hopefully Trilla had stopped choking him.

_-Y_ _ou have accomplished your mission, Inquisitor._ The imposant dark figure said. He stood straight, proud like if he could destroy this place himself, tear it apart like if it was made of fragile alloy. He looked robotic to Cal though he was like a Dark Side Nexus. He knew the Jedi Temple on Coruscant had one, fueling the Light Side and the Jedi who once inhabited it, but being so close from something like that, the complete opposite of what he believed in, it made him so scared and feel unsignificant.

_Now deal with her, destroy your last ties to the Jedi and become who you really are._

Cal wanted to yell but he couldn’t, Cere had been staring at Trilla all this time, a heap on the floor with her two injured, half cauterized, half bleeding knees.

Trilla, eyes focused on Cere, used the Force, forcing her victim to stand in front of her, she switched off Cal’s lightsaber, leaving her red blade alone. She didn’t smile, but her look was intense, more than ever.

Within a second, her blade was in Cere’s stomach. The sound of the laser piercing through the flesh was disgusting. The coughing sound was short as Trilla ascended the blade and cut Cere in two, vertically, cutting through her heart, throat, face and brain. The air oozed ozone and burnt flesh. Her death was instantaneous. As the life left her former master so quickly, Trilla pushed the body away in the well below the interrogation chamber, leaving it to the fire. She switched off her lightsaber.

Cal was nauseous, about to vomit, tears in the corners of his eyes. He had watched, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t scream nor fight and he was next.

_-Excellent. Now give me the Holocron._ The dark figure said impassive.

Trilla, who was looking straight ahead, her face impassive as well, suddenly seemed to get back to reality. Her face, sweating, eyes burning after what had just happened, slowly turned towards the dark figure, her voice hoarse, not as haughty as it used to be.

_-My Lord, it is my duty to deliver it to our Emperor, I recovered it, my mission is not over._

_-Your mission is over, do not make me repeat it. I will see myself that the Emperor hears about it and your involvement._ _From_ _now_ _on,_ _you will have your orders_ _from me_ _, break the Jedi_ _by any means necessary_ _, turn him and bring him to me when it is done._

His noisy breathing was even, though deafening to Cal’s ears. So that’s it ? What a future ahead of him : to be broken and become an Inquisitor, a Dark Side user and slave of the Empire. He would rather die like Cere than to know this fate. But worse was that he knew exactly what was waiting for him, he had already seen and felt it. May the Force protect him. He closed his eyes, trying to reach the Force to break free and feel some peace to calm himself, it was impossible.

Trilla blinked, didn’t move for a few seconds as Vader watched her carefully. She slowly took the Holocron on her belt and handed it over.

_-My Lord, I…_

_-Do not speak to any other Inquisitor of what has happened, I have pressing business of my own to attend to, when I am back I expect you to have fulfilled your mission. Do not fail me Inquisitor._

Without a look at Cal, Darth Vader left the room, the door opening casually as he approached. He didn’t look at the droid heap but added loudly enough _Recover the droid’s memories and see what can be used._

Trilla was looking at Vader as he left her here, as if nothing had happened. She didn’t reply anything, though she had clearly understood the orders of the Dark Lord. She watched him until his form disappeared in the elevator on the other side of the bridge that crossed the Citadel.

She had still both lightsabers in her hands. Cal knew she was shocked, of what she had done, of what had happened in a short amount of time, but ashamed, nothing hinted that.She suddenly turned to Cal, still petrified. Even if Vader had left, both knew that he was still well aware of what was going on here. His shadow somehow looming around them. She drew near him without a word, slightly taller than him, her inquisitor outfit giving her more look than his poor gear. She looked at him in the eyes, feeling his fear, deeper than on Bracca, on Zeffo or Bogano. Her smirk gone since Cere’s death. She put his lightsaber on her belt as well as hers and took a Comlink.

_\- Send me a squad for the Jedi prisoner and lead him to his cell._

_-Yes, Second Sister,_ _we are on our way._

Suddenly, Cal was free from the Force stasis, though he didn’t move nor speak as Trilla kept looking intensively at him. Something had changed, her eyes were still yellowish, corrupted, but she seemed more broken than during their fight on Bogano when Cal saw her memories thanks to his psychometry ability or during their confrontation a few minutes ago. He was in trouble, worried of what would happen next, to him, to her, to BD, to Greez and Merrin on the Mantis, to the innocent children across the galaxy, their lives ruined. His surroundings made him even more uncomfortable.

She could feel his despair, he was now her prisoner, she will break him, one way or another, though now it didn’t sound as the most exciting thing she had expected. As the naive Jedi opened his mouth once more to say who knows what, she used the Force to choke him.

_-You will regret to be born, you will regret to have survived the Purge, you will regret to have followed the Light side. You will learn your place. I will make you understand._

Last thing Cal saw as he was watching her tense face, was a tear dripping from her right eye, and he fell into unconsciousness.


	2. Intertwined destinies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following part of the story.  
> I hope you'll enjoy it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once more, I really apologize if some mistakes hinder your lecture, feel free to let me know if it is that annoying.
> 
> Another list of different music you may listen to while reading this chapter.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp9S6C55wQ8  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKBLeALODlc  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiqVVm2ZvGA  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muehxvezYmI

**Chapter 1/ Intertwined destinies**

Cal opened his eyes cautiously, he was laying down on a cold cell floor. His bruises still recent, as well as the memories of what happened. He sat up and noticed his few personal belongings had been obviously taken from him by the Imperials, save his clothes, at least he still had some sort of dignity and decency. For how long however?

The cell was one among others, in the large and gloomy detention area he had been before he was defeated in the interrogation chamber. It was close, too close, longer than larger so no space to move freely except erratic goings and comings. Through the red energy field, he saw two Stormtroopers passing by, not watching him.

How long would he stay here, on Nur ? He tried to breathe, inhale, exhale, to reach the Force. He only found a void that made him feel alone, lost in the predicament he put himself in. Of course, cut him off from the Force he relied on was a necessary part of the process he was about to undergo.

The memories of what he had seen when he touched Trilla’s saber and the words of the Ninth Sister overwhelmed him _Wait for the isolation, torture, mutilation…_ _Isolation, the first step_ Cal thought.

The sooner the resignation, the easier to be broken. The Force was not with him, temporarily though, it would be back as soon as he gets out of the cell, but no one has ever escaped. Cere broke free while she was being tortured on the chair, not in her cell, and at what cost ?The only ways to get out was to be led to the torture chair or to be one of them.

The plan was to let him here, rot alone in his cell, unable to use his abilities, only to make him think, anticipate and worry of what was waiting for him. Cal would face it, he had no choice, no one would come for him, not Merrin, not Greez, where may they be anyway ? He hoped they had managed to flee to a safe place. If there was any left. BD was being dismantled to find out some secrets buried in his memory. He would have liked to feel the reassuring presence of his buddy on his back, his optimistic beeps giving him some tips or guidance.

He had faced unexpected trials throughout his journey, one lesson has been so far the most relevant. _Persistence reveals the path._ His master had told him this guideline a lot, what would he do if it was him in this cell ? Jaro Tapal was not a coward, he followed the Jedi Code, protected those who needed it and honored the oath all Jedi were bound to. He would remain calm, focus and brave.

Cal could not use the Force, so be it, nothing prevented him from emptying his mind though. He sat down on the floor, in a meditative position, and closed his eyes. The natural darkness he saw as his eyelids closed felt better than the dark and red hues of the dim cell. Even in this place, he would remain himself, his only chance was to rest in order to be ready for the future incoming pain. His senses would be deceived, time will trick him, he had to remain focus. They surely were not going to care about his physiological needs, water or food was a luxury he would not be granted. He accepted that. Whether or not the cell was under surveillance by cameras or Stormtroopers, he didn’t care. _Trust only in the Force. There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no passion, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is the Force._

Hours passed as Cal rejected all the negative events that may undermine his resoluteness and slowly fell asleep on the floor.

When the squad arrived to pick him up, Trilla gave clear instructions to the officer in charge, thirty six hours alone in the cell, no contact, nothing but sheer isolation. One engineer on the droid in the lab. Hopefully, she had had time to recover some composure until they showed up.The recent experience remained somehow traumatic. Things might be worse soon enough.

As she returned to her own quarters, a sort of small dark imperial multi-functional room mostly dedicated to rest and center her mind, not used for leisure or comfort, she went to the bathroom and threw up. She washed her face and looked at it closely in the glass, her eyes had her usual color but red and heavy, dark eyelids and circles, her skin paler than usual and slightly cracked on her temple. She had drawn a lot on the Dark Side, such deeds left marks, visible and hidden.

This moment when Cere had been looking at her, mentally speaking, apologizing, she felt this faint reminiscence of the old bond they once shared as Jedi. It was supposed to be broken. When Order 66 came she was captured due to Cere’s betrayal, their connection had been damaged then. Diminishing trust, hatred, pain, agony, all of it pushed one another aside. When Cere saw her once turned, the Dark Side fuelling both of them at this moment, the outburst of Cere’s own anger delivered the last blow to their connection. It was usually a Light Side bond, common between Master and Padawan, built through common experience, mutual understanding and trusting, sharing thoughts and loyalty, grasping the other’s inner feelings. Years ago, back in the Jedi Temple, she had asked if it may be broken, Cere told her it was doable through death or denial of one’s commitment to the Light. The bonds were miscellaneous, some deeper than other. The History of the Jedi Order contained many examples. Although, as she remembered and reviewed their interaction in the interrogation room, Cere had touched her mind, and she had responded, she couldn’t help. She wanted to kill her, she craved it, yet her silent words loud in her head. _I_ _’ve_ _failed you, I deserve it_ _, but_ _you must save yoursel_ _f_ _Trill_ _a,_ _accept the past_ _. You need someone’s help_ _to move on_ _, listen to the Force._

Vader, who had been watching the scene all along when she defeated Cal Kestis and Cere, had felt her inner turmoil, she was told she had a choice but which one ? One clear sign of weakness and Vader would not have hesitated to strike her down. She considered her troops as expendable resources, she was seen the same way by Vader. Kestis once called her a monster, she had laughed, _Vader i_ _s_ _the_ _real monster._ Whoever lives behind this mask and armor, he reminded her how vulnerable she was and how weak all the inquisitors were against the Sith. It was a food chain in the Empire, from the Stormtrooper, citizens and pilots to the Emperor, basic teaching of the Sith and other brutal societies where the strongest rule and the others follow or die, until another strong enough takes over. Deception and betrayal are acceptable, if one is too weak to avoid them, then death is a logical consequence.

She had to kill Cere, she wanted it and she had to convince herself that her words would not have influenced the decision she made, had Vader not been there. On the other hand, she knew that Vader’s presence was surely the most significant reason why she murdered her former master so quickly and roughly. She had embraced the darkness at this moment, as she had done it on several occasions since the Purge, but this kind of shelter was not one to protect oneself, it was meant to destroy and leave nothing behind. _You are weak. Whatever you say, whatever the role you play, your thoughts betray you, you lack balance and discipline._ She thought. Self-contempt was a simple way to get rid of the excess of anger. _You need someone’s help._ She chased the thought away.

Now what, she was supposed to corrupt the Jedi. Orders from Vader himself. What was he planning to do with him ? The Sith had already taken the Holocron, surely to claim the pride for himself. _Think of the children_ Cal Kestis told her, or attempted to before being choked while Vader was freezing him. She had experienced it in training once, she was still new in their ranks and not as agressive as she was now, but the punishment Vader inflicted her for being too soft while she was training with another Inquisitor was a warning. The scar on her shoulder a reminder, the pressure on her throat and the stasis likewise. His words as humiliating as his connection to the Force was powerful and his saber scorching.

She had given instructions to let Kestis rot in his cell, deprived from his connection to the Force, it would ease her job as he would lack strength and energy. After all, what was a Jedi without the Force except a vulnerable child ? Though he must already be gathering all he had left to prepare himself for the future pain. He had seen her memories, how much she wasn’t sure. _Y_ _ou didn’t kill me on Bogano when you had all the time to do it,_ _think about it…_ His words back in her mind, it was true. Why didn’t she do it ? She had the holocron, it would have been easy to use his own lightsaber against him while hers was making him utterly exposed or she could have captured him and call her troops to retreat to the Fortress. She didn’t know, truly. Instead she had told him _Careful with that thing, it’s been through hell._ How can one be careful with the sufferings caused by the Inquisitors and the Empire torture ? There was something about him she did not manage to explain, opposite feelings of respect and disregard. Why her ? Why would Vader want her specifically to break him ? She was gifted to get answers from prisonners, yes, but there was nothing to get from Kestis. Other inquisitors were even more sadistic than her when it came to torture. Vader told her she was to take orders from him, to turn him. And then, what ? Vader wanted a personal assassin ? To use his psychometry for his own purposes ? _I have pressing business of my own to attend to._ Whatever he was up to, it was not her immediate concern, though she recognized his challenges, Vader has always despised her, all of them, she despises him back, she fears him too, it is not his case. He had felt her doubts, about her place since her arrival, about her Master, about the Jedi.

Vader was using her, as the expendable resource she is, waiting for her mistake and then a reason to dispose of her.

Regardless of the threats she had used against Kestis, she didn’t look forward to meeting him again, not like that, to make him understand something she did not truly believe in. She will have to do what is necessary. The problem is that what is necessary is no longer clear…

At least, she had a few hours to recover, to center herself, before another dirty work.

Darth Vader was looking at the Holocron in his private meditation chamber, at last some privacy, far from the tiny rebellious uprisings scattered across the galaxy, far from the ceaseless requests sent by incompetent imperials minions. The reports from the Second Sister over the last weeks had been infuriating. She did not manage to catch her Jedi preys by herself until the last moment. She had failed on all the planets she had been, her reports trying to hide her inefficiency. Vader had dealt with many Jedi since the fall of the Republic, though his Master had decided to revise his priorities, his obsession with the survivors and his former master seen as a potential threat against the Emperor’s hold on him. Hence the Inquisitorius to hunt down the few survivors still hiding. Jedi hunted down by Jedi, pathetic. They were all broken to be malleable but they lacked personality, they were unstable Force-users. If it was up to him, Vader would kill them all, not that it would be difficult. Even their so called Grand Inquisitor was a masquerade. They were supposed to be a Brotherhood, brothers and sisters, they were only an insipid copy of Sith acolytes.

Enforce the Empire propaganda and ensure the Emperor’s interests was a demanding task but not Vader’s own priority. For five years, he had served the Dark Side and Palpatine, Dark Lord of the Sith, though the original promises of Darth Sidious had never been fulfilled. He was himself in custody, depending on this armor to survive, for what ? He had not forgotten. He had learned through pain to repress his own feelings, but here, in this chamber, he let go. _I may have found a way to learn how to bring you back._

This Holocron was a key to Force sensitive children, he had found the same kind of Holocron years ago in the Jedi Temple as he hunted Jocasta Nu, the former Jedi in charge of the Jedi archives. He was supposed to keep her alive and deliver the Holocron to Sidious. Sometimes accidents may happen. He let go too, in a different way. He killed her as well as his troops when she revealed his former identity. He destroyed the Holocron. He will do it again. He seized his saber, the blade came to life and cut through Eno Cordova’s Holocron, destroying its secrets. A pity really that Trilla Suduri would be responsible for this loss, hopefully Vader would be here to fix that and explain the situation to his Master. As for Cal Kestis, his psychometry will have its use, for a time. If the reports were true, if he really felt vivid echoes of the Force in particular objects connected to strong events and if he was the kind of humans to be close to droids, then he will serve him, up to a point.

- _Master ?_

_-What is it 11-4D ?_

_-Lord Sidious awaits._ Darth Plagueis’ former droid informed him.

- _Fine, no time to waste._

Cal was asleep when the foot hit his stomach, hard, he woke up instantly, eyes wide. He fell the Force returned, in him, around him, its touch ready to meet him and respond to his will. So it was time. He quickly got up, four Stormtroopers were in the room plus two Purge troopers. _Your hands, now._

Cal looked around him, no way he would make it. He had prepared himself, it was time to prove it. He breathed deeply and presented his hands. They put handcuffs on. _Follow us._

Two troopers ahead of him, two behind, one Purge trooper on each side. _Charming_ _company_.

The trip from the detention area to the interrogation chamber was too short in his opinion, though this place gave him goosebumps wherever he may be. The darkness stroke him stronger than expected, his time without the Force had been some sort of salvation to avoid feeling again the worrisome atmosphere of this cursed place. He was thirsty, had hunger and felt dirty.

On the bridge leading to the fateful chamber, they met a Pau’an in a gray and dark imperial outfit. Cal guessed he was an Inquisitor.

_-Look at this, a new candidate to join our ranks._

_-I am no candidate._

_-Silence scum_ The Purge trooper said as he hit Cal in the left leg with his staff, making him stumble. _Show respect._

 _-That’s all right, the feisty ones are usually like this at the beginning, it is always a pleasure to see them reconsider quickly their position. Judging by your aspect, I trust it won’t be long._ The inquisitor said with a wicked smile.

Cal knew better than to snap back, it would not help him in any case.

_-Good. You may proceed Commander._

_-Yes, Grand Inquisitor._

_Grand Inquisitor ?_ Cal looked behind as they resumed their path, so he was their leader then ? Another Jedi, nothing in his behaviour or appearance showed a sign of trauma, only an unbounded ego. How many of them were here ?

_Stay calm. Trust only in the Force._

They reached the chamber, Cal breathed deeply, kept his head upright. Trilla was there, waiting for them. She wore her usual inquisitor black outfit yet the mask and cape were missing.

- _Prepare the prisoner._ She simply said, her voice even, while she was working on the console next to the chair.

The troopers removed the hancuffs, though his free hands were soon enough captive again as they put him in place. It was exactly like in his memories, _Trilla’s memories..._ _They_ _’ll be yours in a jiffy though…_ He thought bitterly.

He had expected to be taunted, her silence did not ease his concern. _Here we are, hands and feet trapped, what will it be first ? Electricity,_ _m_ _utilation,_ _drugs ?_ He reached to the Force, to feel his protective presence within him, giving him strength, trying not to shake, his hunger or thirst the least of his worries.

She put herself before him. She looked tired, clearly her face was a real change compared to the shock he saw after she murdered Cere, still he could feel her inner discomfort.

_-Most of the time, we expect to get answers when we use this device. For you, we don’t need anything. Only your lucidity, if you have any._ His fists were clenched to avoid as much as possible a contact with the chair, though the echo would soon overwhelm him anyway. He didn’t reply and did not bother glaring at her. He closed his eyes. _Persistence reveals the path._ And it came, so roughly that it surprised him and his scream of pain could not be withheld any longer. The crackles of electricity against his body sent waves of energy, giving him spasms, the aleatory frequency of the shocks allowed no time for recovery or to prepare for the next wave. Same for the duration and intensity. It kept going like this for two hours. Though Cal had lost notion of time within three minutes.

Throughout this first session of torture, she had kept looking at him, didn’t move, didn’t talk, didn’t show anything. Her hands crossed behind her back, the troopers around them. She was well aware of how unpleasant the experience was, the fact that it was the easy part of it made her shiver. He was facing his fate bravely, for someone attuned to the Light like him, she did not expect less. He would not manage to last long though, torture was a pathway to reveal hidden abilities and potential that one would never have suspected to possess. With the right level of pain, reaching the verge of death was workable, it also was a guarantee to keep a prisoner alive no matter what he endured.

When she said _Enough_ , the trooper in charge of the console stopped immediately, Cal fell loudly to the floor, two stormtroopers took his arms and dragged him out of the chamber back to his cell.

As Cal fell on the cell’s floor, his thoughts were hazy, unable to think, just to groan, his muscles and body so tensed that he could not move. He had been back only twenty minutes in the cell that the energy field vanished and troopers brought him back to square one. He didn’t think he would be so frightened so quickly, if he could think properly. His hope for a break cut short, the spams resumed. He lost consciousness as expected by Trilla after ten minutes. _I told you I’ll make you understand, there is no place for hope here, accept it._

_-Bring him back to his cell. When he awakes, give him water and food._

_-Yes, Second sister. The soldierlike trooper simply answered._

Back in her quarters, she could see on the camera that he was laying on the floor. It would take him a few hours before waking up. How would he react when she will come to him ? Anger ? Fear ? He might still be able to show compassion... Though she will have to convince him that their interests are closer than it looks.

Anyone cracked under torture, the pain was enough for both body and spirit. It took everything from you until you become what your headsman desires. Even for a Jedi, it didn’t take long. All of them had been turned, in a few days for the bravest. The Force made the experience more intense, raw emotions, brutish sensations, what the Jedi wanted to keep under control. No one could truly be prepared for that. _The Force shall set me free._ It was only a question of time. And time was what she had at the moment in the loneliness of her makeshift room.

She remembered well enough her own torture and the circumstances. She fought in the Jedi Temple with her Master, the clones were everywhere. Her mind drifted.

_Trilla, get down !_ Cere yelled at her as heavy troopers launched their assault at the east entrance of the Temple’s docking bay, the clones cut their way out, preventing all Jedi from using ships to escape.

A missile flew over Trilla and hit the wall a few meters behind, killing two Jedi in the explosion. Cere jumped in front of her, she sent a Force push then threw her saber on a pipe, thus unbalancing the incoming clones while creating a leak which spread smoke around the landing pad. They had their diversion, Cere had bought them some time, she grabbed Trilla’s arm and helped her to stand up as they ran away.

- _Master, how are we going to get out of here ?_ She was scared, confused and breathless, though she kept using her green lightsaber to deflect blaster shots while running behind Cere.

_-The hidden tunnels, the secret areas below the Temple, they lead to several exits far enough from the Temple._

_-We can’t let them sack up our home, we need to fight back._

_-No, we don’t stand a chance, there are too many of them. We need to retreat and let the situation cool down to understand what's going on._

After a few minutes, as they were near the Jedi Archives, Trilla saw four Younglings hiding below a table in the corner, a Rodian, a Twi’lek and two Humans, a boy and a girl. They were not even ten years old.

_-Master, there !_

_-Watch my back Trilla._ Cere said focus while rushing towards them.

The smoke, the smell of death, fear, fire and ozone were crushing, in every direction she saw clones and fellow Jedi fighting each other.

- _Come with us, we have to escape, we will be safe._ Cere said, trying to be warm and convincing as she extended her arms, her lightsaber turned off and fixed on her belt

They were crying, though they still had some senses and training, they quickly followed them and they reached a dead end a few rooms before the Archives.

 _-Master ?_ Trilla asked anxiously.

- _It’s here._ Cere replied calmly. She applied her hand to the wall, a small tremor was heard and stairs appeared leading to unknown places below, the smell of earth, grass and moisture intoxicating.

- _Go, quickly !_

As they started to go down, a squad of four clones appeared, the Twi-lek youngling took his shoto and tried to protect them with his blue blade though he was no match to the blaster fire he exposed himself to, Trilla jumped to his side to help him, they deflected most of the attack and returned the shots, still the last clone alive managed to pierce the Youngling’s defenses, he was shot in the chest and fell on the ground.

- _NO !_ Both Cere and Trilla screamed, the latter jumped and with a swift strike beheaded the clone.

The three Younglings were already down the stairs, though Trilla rushed to the side of the one injured. He was dying, they felt it.

- _Master, we can’t leave him, we have to bring him with us._ Trilla said, tears in her eyes, she may be seventeen, well trained and supposed to keep control of her emotions, yet nothing may have prepared her to face this situation, in their sacred and holy Temple.

_-We can’t, we have to save those who are alive._

_-He IS alive, and he will die if we leave him._

_-We won’t have the means to save him, we have no medical supplies, his injury_ _is_ _too great, we must go and protect the others. We must go Trilla !_

 _-Master...I’m scared…_ The Twi-lek said, his voice low, broken.

- _May the Force be with you, Apprentice, be strong._ She kissed him softly on his head and quickly grabbed Trilla to lead her towards the stairs, her grip firm. _Master, we can’t do that !_

 _-We have to Trilla, move, now !_ The shots were closer, the clones would be here in a minute. They reached the down of the stairs and see the three scared Younglings left, Cere took the two Humans with her hands, holding theirs, while Trilla took the Rodian’s hand and held her lightsaber in the other to enlighten the tunnels. The passage had closed right after they went down.

Trilla was disturbed, lost. Though she had to remain strong. She could not believe what her Master had just done, they should have been by his side, helping him, not fleeing.

They ran in silence for two hours, when they reached a crossway, the light seemed to be visible ahead one of the passages. They heard shots. Cere took her weapon and moved towards the light.

Trilla panicked, she grabbed her Master’s arm. _Don’t go, we need to stick together._

Cere was resolute, Trilla would not win the argument.

- _No, I am going to lure them away and then I’m going to circle back. Stay with the Younglings Trilla. May the Force be with you._

 _-Master ! Don’t leave us !_ She had lost all composure, she was so scared of what would happen next, they would not make it. She kept feeling the death of all the Jedi at this moment, they were slaughtered and they could not prevent it. She felt a wound in the Force. 

- _Trilla, what’s going to happen ?_ The small Rodian child asked her, crying.

- _It’s okay, it’s okay._ She did not believe a word of what she said, she was lying, things would not end well. She looked behind her, she saw the two Humans, surely siblings as they looked similar, holding their hands.

- _Follow me._ She led them to another tunnel, darker, far from the shootings. They were alone. At some point, they ended up in a room with some supplies, it was an emergency area with lyophilized food and water, they had been on the run for hours, they needed a break. The children needed a break. It was quiet, all of them afraid.

 _-It will be fine, Master Junda will come back, we will find out what’s going on and get you to safety. I won’t let anyone touch you._ She told them.

The two humans were quiet, the Rodian looked at her like a child turns to his older sister.

_What’s your name ? What clan do you belong to ?_

_-Thranta Clan, I am Teebo._ The Rodian said, calmer than before.

- _Hawkbat Clan, I am Berhyl, and this is my sister Zylho._ The Human boy said.

They already knew her name as Cere had said it in unpleasant circumstances.

 _-Rest, trust in the Force, we will all be safe soon._ They trusted her, it was warm, though she didn't believe that at all, it would not be that easy.

They spent the following days in the same place, they didn’t hear nor feel any threat. Though they could not afford to stay here much longer, they had run out of supplies, and the risk grew higher to be found by clones. She didn’t know what was going on, they had no access to the Holonet, but she was convinced that if the Jedi fell, the Republic would too.

They left after their hideout and resumed their journey. They eventually found another spot after a few hours where they decided to stay, while watching for any sign of Clones or threats. She didn’t manage to feel her Master presence, their bond was still here, she knew she was alive, but not what she was doing nor what had happened to her outside. The area below the Temple was a maze, it would take ages to be found, same to get out without a proper knowledge of the layout.

Time passed as they kept doing the same method, trying to gain time. When they left their fourth spot and reached the same first place, Trilla felt her stomach knot. She saw their footprints, they were lost.

- _Trilla, are we lost ?_ Zylho asked, her pale face contrasting with her black short hair.

Trilla did her best to remain a beacon for them, the worst thing for them now would be to succumb to panick.

_-Don’t worry, we may have made a mistake but we will fix it._

They chose another path, the Younglings still close to her, their fate depended on her.

As they ran up another corridor, they suddenly saw a faint light at the corner. Trilla sensed the presence of clones nearby. _Turn off your lightsabers._ She said to them calmly, they complied.

The soil made of earth left footprints, they would betray themselves. As they changed direction, Trilla felt other squads in the maze of the underground. They had lasted maybe ten days, but it was over. She knew it. A sense of defeat overwhelmed her. The Younglings nearby, seemed to feel her falter.

 _Trilla, are you okay ? What should we do ? How can the clones have found us ?_ The small boy asked her, Berhyl, he had been quiet most of the time, though close to his sister. She felt his turmoil. He was the oldest among the three, though he was only nine years old.

_Follow me, we must be quick, be quiet and keep your calm._

They crossed many tunnels when they suddenly heard, _We know you are here Jedi, surrender now, and we may spare the Younglings. Your_ _foot_ _prints betray you, we will find you soon. Come to us, put down your lightsabers, surrender, it’s over._

 _Nothing is ever truly over._ Trilla thought, pain in her chest, their fate would be grim in their hands, obviously, she had to protect the Younglings. They reached a corner, they saw light on the right and left side. They were trapped. The Younglings knew it too. Without a word, they all stood their ground and light their lightsabers up. Three green blades and a blue one came to life.

_They are here, we’ve found the Jedi. Get to your position, shoot on sight !_

Back to back with the Rodian, while the siblings faced the other side, Trilla had a pretty bad feeling, she didn’t want it to end like this, to die like this, the Force had betrayed her, she had trusted it, and now they were doomed. She had failed those under her protection.

Shots came at her, they didn’t launch an assault, only waiting to make them tired and vulnerable.

Zylho was the first one to be injured, touched in the leg and the hand, her lightsaber fell on the ground, she lost her balance. Berhyl yelled her name, making a fatal mistake and exposing his back to protect his sister, to get her up. The shots killed him instantly, _NO !_ Zylho screamed with utter despair, she was up but unarmed, a shot hit her in the head, she fell on her brother.

_Trilla, I don’t want to die, please, save me !_ Teebo said, his blade less precise, tears in the eyes. As Trilla looked at her side, she was petrified, the two dead Younglings, the clones coming from behind, those ahead, she was hit on her arm, loosing her balance, she wavered. _Teebo, get down._

As the Rodian tried to seize her to both protect her and embrace her, the shots aimed at Trilla took the Youngling’s life, they both fell to the ground, Trilla’s eyes fixed on the Rodian, eyes wide, tears visible, dead. The clones were on her, last thing she saw was a blue light as they stunned her.

In two days, she had accepted her fate, she knew Cere had betrayed them, not only her, but also the Younglings, she was responsible for their death. The first day she arrived in this place, she had felt the sufferings, a few Jedi were also here, broken, in different cells. Some killed, other tortured. One Pau’an and a dark figure in a black armor infused pain and fear in their minds. The torture was unbearable, she had never felt pain like that, but knowing that Cere was nearby, it only made her anger and hatred easier to use against her, she knew it, and she didn’t care. She let go, she seized the cold presence of the Dark Side calling to her, she used it so that she would be free, able to kill her Master, then she may find some peace, some justice for the Younglings. She embraced the pain, the hatred, the fear, no more weakness, no more sufferings, she would prevail.

She committed herself to a new cause, she would survive and bring justice to the traitor. The sacrifice of her soul was worth it.

She wore her new gear, she took the helmet a Stormtrooper gave her, those puppets, she would slaughter them too when she has the chance, they are unworthy of living. Some still had the clone armors, other shiny new ones.

She faced her former Master, she will end it, in this chamber, one way or another.

 _Trilla ?_ Cere was weak, but her scream and the Force wave she suddenly unleashed knocked out Trilla who collapsed on the ground. When she woke up, she was told the Jedi had escaped, that she was the only survivor. She would never find peace until she kills her, until all the Jedi who could not even protect those they had to care about and train were dead.

Trilla came back to reality. She was in her room, on her bed, her memories had taken over, or was it a vision ? She remembered the solemn vow she had made that day, to kill Cere. The reasons why she had wanted it. In the end, was it worth it ? The Younglings were still dead, she had failed to protect them.

The Jedi who had unintentionally allowed her to avenge them was the one she was now tormenting. Did he deserve it ? When the Purge started, he was barely older than them, twelve or thirteen maybe. He was now eighteen at most. She was now about to lead him to a life of pain and slavery until his death, whereas he had tried to reach her, to help her. He told her he had seen her memories, the torture, but the purge ? To what extent did he see it ? Why did he not understand then ?

Six hours had passed since she stopped the torture session, Cal Kestis should soon be awaken.

She will have to speak with him.


	3. We don't have to be enemies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Following part of the story, I hope you'll like it ! Thanks for the support and your readings.  
> Here is a list of different music you may listen to while reading.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbNo7h6bXx8  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsOA_SqsUj0

**Chapter 2/ We don’t have to be enemies**

When his eyes opened, he didn’t move, he couldn’t. The pain ached, too intense, his body utterly numb. He saw his right arm and hand, the burnt skin, raw flesh, he probably would not have time to recover before his next round on this bloody chair. _New scars to add to the collection then_. What was worse, to consider the other ways they may torture him or the fact they did not even seem to care about what they did to him ? He was just a toy one would hit on the wall until it breaks, so that its soundness would be proven.

He could smell his combined cold sweat, burnt scent and reek. His throat was dry, making it painful to swallow his saliva. His thoughts were confused, though he could still think and be aware of who he was. He was cut off from the Force again, back in his cell. At least they would leave him alone a while, maybe until they consider him suitable for another game. He attempted to catch his breath, the intake of oxygen seemed to ignite a fire from the inside. He decided to stay quiet, breathe slowly. One session and he had no choice than to admit it, they would surely break him, there was not a single body which could sustain that pain infinitely. The damaged spirit was just another casualty. _I am Cal Kestis. I am a Jedi. I was Master Tapal’s Padawan._ These few words gave him some comfort, though his confidence was pretty low. He had only been through physical pain, they could use drugs or maybe his psychometry against him, what if she used her former lightsaber again, if he saw Cere die again, if he felt her death, her pain ? No, it doesn’t make sense, it would be too much, that would kill him. Still, death would allow him to leave this place. _There is no death, there is the Force._

The dark figure who joined them back in the chamber, he told Trilla to break him and bring him before this abomination. What did he want from him ? Who was he anyway ? He was no Inquisitor, much more dangerous. He guessed that Trilla’s fear against him was the same for the other Inquisitors, probably responsible for their mutilation as the Ninth Sister told him once. It seemed this fight on Kashyyyk took place in another dimension. He had lost notion of time, he had been here for too long already. _Master, show me the path, please._ He closed his eyes, he needed some rest, to think about his Master, to focus on him. He may be dead, but his memory remained even without the Force, he could not reach him through it, still he was able to remember. There is always a Light in the Dark, it was a circle, Light had its part of Dark, they met, fought, but could not utterly get rid of the other. The Force was balance as he was taught, Ashla and Bogan, Light and Dark.

_I am here for a reason, be patient, just survive until it becomes clear again._

The sound brought him back to reality, the energy field had vanished. He felt the Force reach him, its cuddle on him, within him. He relied on it so much to exist, giving up the Force or being cut off was a punishment unnatural. How could those not attuned to the Force live in a galaxy where they could not sense its essence ? Worse, how did Cere manage to do it and live that way ? Without, it was like a wound in his being. _Maybe I’ll change my mind mind soon enough..._ He felt the presence of a Stormtrooper nearby, though not clearly hostile. He didn’t move, remained still, he smelled that it was food. Surely there was some water too. The sound of a plate put on the floor indicated that the Force would leave him soon as the Stormtrooper walked away. The sound of the energy field was nothing compared to the void he felt as soon as it is on.

His instinct told him it was time to sit up, regain some forces and fuel his body with some energy. So he gently, gradually pushed on his forearm to straighten. He stood against the wall, legs stretched. He pulled the plate and seized the water, it was not much, but more than he expected, he tried to save some, just in case, though his body disagreed. The food was some kind of mixture, half mashed tasteless stuff and broth. At least it was not too hard to gulp.

He was barely done and had resumed his quiet position, eyes closed, when the field disappeared once more, half worried that it was time for torture, half glad to be in touch so soon with the Force. And deeply concerned when he felt her pervasive presence near him.

The shield remained shut down, meaning they had both their connection to the Force. He didn’t try to probe her mind, though she surely was already scrutinizing his.

He looked miserable, weak and lost. As expected. There was no reason to beat around the bush.

_-How do you feel ?_ It may be too gentle, though bullying him would not serve her.

Cal gritted his teeth, yet didn’t take the bait. No way he would complain and show her, show them what they wanted.

- _I am not here to taunt you. Instead of being static use the Force while you can._ Her voice was neutral, neither friendly nor agressive. _What is she planning again ?_ He thought.

_-I am here to talk . So open your eyes or I may also leave now and get you send back to the chair._

He carefully tried to probe her, she didn’t seem to lie, except for the torture chair, she was not planning to do it right now. She did let her guard down so his attempt to reach her worked, it was unsual, during their fights she was impossible to anticipate.

- _I am not in the mood for sweet talk,_ _move_ _._ She replied louder.

Cal opened his eyes and turned his head leisurely, if she could read him so easily, no point in trying to hide anything. _I_ _used to know better days_ _. What do you want ?_

She wore her usual uniform, still he noticed that without the cape she was less intimidating, less imposing. Her dark eyelids proved him her turmoil. _Her_ _own_ _body betrayed her_ _, she is concerned_ _._ He supposed.

- _The process you’re going through depends only on you._ _We can go on like this, but you’ll only tire before me. Is that what you really desire ? I may show you means to satisfy your_ _new_ _lust for pain then._ Her face showed nothing, though her mask remained thin, something was worrying her, not that it was his concern.

_-You said you didn’t come to taunt me, hard to kick the habit ?_ _Leave me alone or torture me, but don’t_ _play your_ _games or mind tricks with me_ _. I have nothing to tell you._ He wanted to stay away from her, avoid her tricks, to end this nonsense.

- _No. I am here to_ _propose you something. See, I have considered the possibility, that you may have some use for me…_ She started before his voice, louder than expected, interrupted her.

_-I am not your toy, even if you manage somehow to turn me, I will never be your ally, I was wrong to think you could be changed._ He said, his tone icy.

- _Turn ? You’ve already considered the possibility then, good. I used to think you had the wits of a scrapper, it seems I have underestimated you. Your lack of compassion though, troubling, I thought you wanted to save me._ She emphazised turn and save with a high degree of sarcasm, it made Cal sick.

_-There is nothing to save in someone like you, you killed Cere like some savage, you have doomed the fate of innocent children just for your own pride, I wonder how you may be the same person that cared about Younglings during the purge. What happened to them by the way ? Did you slaughter them like you killed her ? You are a monster._ He spit it with anger and sorrow, tears threatened to fall from his eyes, the contact of warm tears painful on his eyelids. Obviously, he had touched a nerve.

- _Shut up. You know nothing Cal Kestis._ She was boiling, he did only see glimpses then, nothing substantial. No surprise he was so naive and stubborn. On top of that, he pursued his reprimand.

- _Y_ _ou deserve to pay for what you did._ He looked at her in the eyes, he was weak but this time didn’t deny his feelings. Though his expression changed quickly when she suddenly slapped his left cheek with more strength than she wanted, he fell to the ground with a muffled groan.

She tried to calm herself, she had come for a reason.

- _If you want to survive this place, you’_ _ll_ _need to hide your emotions, you’_ _ll_ _need to be inconspicuous. Misuse of a word, you’ll lose a limb, or worse, lose your temper, you’ll be beaten up by an other Inquisitor._ _I’ll have to teach you, if your brain still works._

_As for your insults, it only shows that your so called gift in the Force is not as powerful as it seemed to be. I told you once I am what Cere made me. You clearly do not understand what you are talking about._

Still on the floor, Cal moved his head to look at her, he looked pitiful.

- _I know enough, she was forced to give you away as you would have done it in the same place, she did not do it willingly, she was not responsible._

_Blast, he really does not understand…_

_-She bears the guilt of her betrayal, she had a choice and she did make the wrong one, she did not only betray me, she was also the one who killed the Younglings._

_-What ? No, it’s not possible._ He was confused. His partially electrically burnt face matching the red and dark hue of the cell.

- _We had been hiding for ten days when they came and encircled us, the Younglings died, innocent children. I saw them die, I was with them. Her actions led to this conclusion, not mine._

_Here we are, compassion on his face… How predictable._

_-How awful this is, it doesn’t change that you would have given her up too, should you have been on this chair, you know well that there is no other way._

_-The choices she made took mine away. Why don’t you understand that ?_ It was always like that with him she thought, always trying to compromise, to defend those who did not deserve any kind of compassion or to expose himself to protect the others. Revealing himself while in hiding to protect his friend’s life only to postpone his death as he openly expressed his doubts against the Empire, the rebels and wookies on Kashyyyk, then Cere, what’s wrong with him ?

She did not realize that her frustration let Cal time to probe her.

- _You are selfish Trilla, self-centered. How many people did you kill anyway_ _since you joined them_ _? Did you blame Cere all this time, trying to justify your actions ? Is that what you thought when you killed_ _Jedi, rebels, people,_ _Prauf, if you even remember him ? Surely as she was the one who saved me from you,_ _she was in the end «responsible» for the havoc you put upon Bracca_ _. And the Holocron, did you also think that i_ _t_ _was to protect_ _them_ _from Cere ? That the Empire would really deal with them better than us_ _and that the Empire would reward you for your intuition_ _?_ _Face yourself and your contradictions, face your hatred and your denial. You can’t be trusted. I won’t trust you._ He looked resolute, firm, and somehow proud of himself.

Trilla was speechless, which was quite something for her rhetorical talents. She had thought that indeed, but she did not expect that someone would dare cross her truth, not like that.

Cal slowly got up and moved towards the entrance of the cell. Trilla didn’t look at him, she was thinking, his words ached in her head. Cal gazed at the large detention area, he did not even think about leaving, the guards nearby would get him way before he may manage to reach the door through which he had entered a few days ago when he tried to recover the Holocron.

Trilla caught him up and stepped out of the cell. She looked at him, pinched nose and puzzled.

- _I wonder why I haven’t cut your tongue yet._ She could swear that she saw a slight hint of amusement in his eyes beside the anger, compassion and grief.

- _Because you need help, to remind you what or who you are._ He turned his back and moved head down towards the depth of the cell.

Trilla turned on the energy field and left.

Missing meals at the Inquisitorius refectory would prove to be suspect. They were all supposed to share the moment as long as they are in the fortress, even if they would willingly take the chance to kill one another. The Grand Inquisitor used it as a way to check that they were all involved in their current tasks. Today, it was only Trilla, the Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister. The circular room was equipped with basic contents, white and grey containers, tables and seats. The rest of the troops possessed their own area.

_-Tell me, Second Sister, how have you been doing these last days ? I was told by Lord Vader you were in charge of the Jedi’s conversion. That no one was supposed to bother you or ask you questions. Unexpected choice if I may say so. Not that I would question the reasons of our Master of course._ The Pau’an asked quizzical.

The three faces turned to her, waiting for her reply, waiting for her mistake. Each sentence had to be prepared before being spoken aloud, especially when the sentence is a reply to a direct superior in the Empire hierarchy

- _Lord Vader is expected to be back within three days, I was informed his own business is_ _almost_ _complete_. _It will be done by then._ She plainly stated.

 _-Really, yet I wonder when he is supposed to be turned as he’s met our wonderful interrogation chamber twice so far. Surely you don’t consider that isolation and starvation are_ _the only_ _d_ _ignified_ _and noble_ _manners_ _we use_ _? Or are you going soft on him ? His frowned face threatening her._

- _This Jedi is a different one, I have dealt with him several times over the last weeks, if Lord Vader let me handle the case, it’s only because he knows I am the most capable of breaking him. Nothing more. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to him._ She bit her lower lip as he grabbed her arm when she attempted to leave them.

- _Be careful with your inner feelings_ _my dear Sister_ _, you may have killed your former Master, it doesn’t mean that you no longer have to respect any sort of rules here. Remember your rank and who you serve, Inquisitor._ _I know you’ve kept his lightsaber in your room, though trophies are not a problem, I don’t believe it is only for your notorious pride._ _I would not like to see Darth Vader upset by your lack of perspicacity, the consequences would be...unpleasant._ He let her go without another look at her. Trilla felt a stir in her stomach, something was wrong, her emotions were still under control, she had not much time left, She left without a word.

 _You need someone’s help to move on, listen to the Force._ Cere’s words, a sticky echo in her mind.

Cal could now observe the beginning of an infection on his arms and hands, some spots of burnt flesh almost rotten. If they really put him again on this chair, like last time, he would lose limbs, though they surely would be forced to use bacta to heal the injuries, his body too frail to go through it. How many hours have passed since Trilla visited him ? Hunger and dehydration still too heavy on his shoulders, he wanted to get out of this place, to get back to the Mantis, see his friends, those he trusted. He had been waiting for hours when she arrived, again. He rolled his eyes. Except this time, the energy field was closed behind her. Did she just trap herself on purpose ?

 _-What is it now, time to go back to the chair ? Another private and friendly talk ? Surely you would not mind giving me some bacta, water and let me shower ?_ This feeling of being stuck, to have nowhere to go and to be doomed made him bolder.

- _Actually, it would be a good idea. You stink worse than a Hutt._ She said with raised eyebrows.

- _I owe you that I guess. What do you want this time ?_

_-Vader is coming for you, in less than three days, we will probably both be dead if you don’t do as I say._

_-I thought I was supposed to be_ _resigned to my fate ?Who is Vader by the way ?_

She closed her eyes, without the Force she slightly felt lighter, a burden not as heavy as it is usually.

- _Listen to me Kestis, I am not your ally, neither you are mine, I am not ready to get over what has happened the last five years_ , _but if we both want to live to fight another day, we have to work together on this._ The irony on his face gone, he looked at her with the same kind of curious and betrayed expression he had when she first took off her helmet.

- _You really have a thing for manipulation, haven’t you ?_ _So what, are you planning_ _to_ _leav_ _e_ _the Empire ? To escape ?_ _I’d be rather glad to leave as well, can’t say I would make it easier though._

 _-Vader is a Sith. The Emperor’s apprentice. I have a bad feeling about what he is going to do with the Holocron, with you and with me. They see us as tools, broken Jedi not meant to survive for long. I u_ _se_ _d to think that this place would grant me the chance to avenge those who died because of Cere, now it is done, I don’t think I belong here much longer._ _The Holocron may have been my way out, though I fear it may on the contrary lead to my demise._ _Vader needs you, you are the key._

His face switched from puzzled to anxious.

- _Do you even have a plan ? I am not sure it would be credible if we just both get out of here…_

She smiled to him, though her patronizing tone revealed to Cal that he would not be that much involved in the process. _I told you we may work together, I don’t like the idea to see you turn into an inquisitor and hunt me after that,_ _not that you may one day beat me_ _anyway_ _,_ _all I need_ _for the moment_ _is your body._

He cautiously withdrew but she seized his arm while her other hand used some kind of spike she had hidden in her palm to plunge it in his veins. His eyes wide, he didn’t have time to gasp before collapsing on the ground, out of control he started to shake.

Trilla quickly collected the spike, removed the energy field and called the closest Stormtrooper. _Get the prisoner to the medical bay, he_ _has been poisoned._

Her face smug, she did go to the lab. At this time, it was late and the engineers were off work. She quickly found the droid she was looking for. With a restraining bolt, it was standing on a desk in evidence. The scientist had reported that its memory was somehow corrupted, no slicing device had managed to hack it. Surely Cordova was careful when he improved it. It was silent, she took it and threw it into the box nearby and closed it. As she reached her room, she collected Cal’s lightsaber as well as hers in her drawer and added them to the box. The new one she had still on her belt.

She had a few hours before her to create the fake record to justify her escape. If the recordings of Cere’s death were workable, she could recover some of Vader’s words and use his voice to create new ones. _Excellent. You have accomplished your mission Inquisitor. Meet me at the Imperial Palace. Bring him to me. The Emperor himself is looking forward to seeing the Jedi._

Pleased with herself, she gathered her rare stuff and throw everything in the box. She took her comlink and called the docking bay.

_-Prepare a shuttle for immediate take off. Rations for three days. I am expected to go to Coruscant._

_-At once, Second Sister._

_Time to get the parcel now._

Cal felt the effects of the poison disappear. He was naked save for the white shorts used in Bacta tank. The effects of the fluid soothing on his skin, his eyes closed, he put himself in a meditative trance to help the healing process. He had stayed a few hours here, he was a bit hazy though he felt much better. The tank began to empty, too early in his opinion, as he opened his eyes and left the tank, she was here, with her usual outfit, cape back on her and her mask. It made him suddenly wary, he was exposed. A trolley stood by her side, some sort of luggage on the lower level of it.

_Even after I’ve been kind enough to let you recover, you are still sloppy and jittery. I am afraid you don’t give me a choice._

Before he may have a chance to reply, he felt a pressure on his head and he suddenly felt the need to sleep. He hit the floor. She laughed behind her mask and used the force to lift him and place him on the trolley. She took a sheet and covered him. _No time to waste, take the shuttle and leave this place._ Cautiously hiding her thoughts and protecting her mind, she moved towards the docking bay.

Yet, on her way she felt a presence hurrying to be there before her. _Crap._ Walking maybe for the last time in this place gave her some sort of merriment she had not felt for a long time, the dark halls, the cells, scary rooms… _There is no turning back, you’ve made your choice._

She checked one last time that her thoughts were protected as the sealed door opened and revealed the Grand Inquisitor, hands in his back in front of the Lambda class T-4a shuttle. _May I ask you where you are going, Second Sister._ His anger, visible in his eyes.

She tried to put some pride when she spoke, it pleased her to manage to hear her haughty voice.

- _Grand Inquisitor. I am on my way to Coruscant with the broken Jedi. It seems it was not necessary to go too hard on him, he changed his mind rather quickly. Weak, like the others. Lord Vader is expecting me._

He tended his hand towards her to stop her. _Do you think I am a fool ? I did not feel a single tremor in the Force, he was not tortured, was not pushed to the edge, he did not suffer_ _enough_ _to be able to admit by himself why he had to join us. I dare say, would you after all this time have...remorse ?_ _Betrayal is a path that cannot remain unpunished._ _The report of the guard mentions poison,_ _something you are familiar with,_ _your recklessness is your weakness_ _my dear_ _._

 _-Careful with your accusations_ She hissed, _I have done what Lord Vader wanted, now it is time for what I was promised. Surely you are not considering to disobey our Masters’ bidding ? I am sure Lord Vader would appreciate to appoint a new Grand Inquisitor._ _Amend yourself and find the renegade who tried to sabotage my work_ _and save your empty threats for someone else_ _._ She was starting to sweat under her mask, yet her shield remained. She grabbed the record she had created and displayed it.

She knew she had the upper hand, his fear for Vader was at least the same level as hers, his discomfited face oozed fear and anger. He was not brave enough to take his chance. _It is up to you how you want to end this, Grand Inquisitor._ Her voice openly hostile. He approached her, without moving towards his weapon, she did stand her ground, her body eager to move and ready to fight. _You may be gifted in deception, however you are clearly not ready for the new area you are going to enter. Be careful not to be deceived by your own aspirations._ She could feel his hatred, his fear was greater, he let her there and left. She did look back and resumed her way to the shuttle. She checked for tracking device, nothing visible, she boarded it while pushing the trolley with the Jedi and his droid. _I made it._ She took off her helmet, genuine smile on her face and hurried to take control of the shuttle to leave. The shield vanished, she did not waste more time and left. The dark sky let place to the darkness of space and brightness of stars. _Where to go now ?_

_-_ _We’ll be arriving shortly on Dathomir Lord Vader._ 11-4D informed him, while in charge of the Tydirium shuttle. The plan was simple, his master teachings and ruling were based on deception and lies, the power he had mentioned to lure Vader was simply one he did not control. Darth Plagueis had been the only one who almost managed to cheat death, 11-4D had informed him of his experimentations on living beings and animals, killing them and resurrecting them. 11-4D hated Sidious, he was more than a protocol droid, he had been the personal assistant of the greatest Sith Lord in the galaxy, and his traitorous apprentice had killed him while asleep after years of work and progress to fulfill his noble goals. Decades of work alongside Plagueis had led him to develop his personality, he was more than a puppet and a common droid. Then, it was relevant for him to turn to Vader to attempt to resurrect his master’s project as the Empire built by Sidious was not what Plagueis would have managed to achieve. The deal was to resurrect Darth Plagueis thanks to his power, then Vader would be rewarded with this knowledge he was promised and they would get rid of the insidious Darth Sidious. _At least, that’s what this d_ _umb_ _droid thinks._ It’s a tool to find the knowledge he seeks, he will crush it when it is of no other use.

Yet, they needed help, Plagueis had been to Dathomir, he had met a clan of Nightsisters, Mother Talzin was their leader and was known for her witchcraft and ability to resurrect the dead, some of them may be still alive as Imperial probes had detected one Nightsister in the dedicated area near a ship. It was time to investigate, to find out who she was. Telling her to help them in their quest so that Plagueis would in the end resurrect her fallen sisters. People were always keen on believing what may lead to the realization of their wishes. The droid had in store archives of DNA and cells from the Dark Lord. With the combined powers of the Jedi and a Nightsister, he may be able to win on every aspect of the plan : Learn the power wielded by Plagueis, get rid of witnesses, heal himself, slain his master and save the only one he had cared more than his own life.

Sidious had summoned him on Coruscant to send him on a mission of no importance, assess the threats that may represent the other tribes of Nightsisters scattered across the planet Dathomir, the coincidence only lucky. He had not mentioned the Holocron, the reports he had from the Second Sister were specifically designed for him, he was the only one supposed to speak directly with the Emperor on his own will and to decide what was worth the Emperor’s time. He planned to mention the way the Second Sister had lost her senses and destroyed the Holocron after she had turned the Jedi. He will have to get back to Nur right after his job here is complete. Sidious was the master of deception, Vader would show him he could outsmart him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to let me know if you have any recommendation.


	4. A new beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Following part of the story, thanks for your comments and readings.  
> This chapter is a bit long so I have decided to cut it in two, this way it'll be easier for you to read it, I hope you'll enjoy it.  
> Sorry for the few mistakes that I may have missed despite my willingness to give you something as good as possible.
> 
> Music for this chapter.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCa9jfGIHBY

**Chapter 3 _/_ A new beginning**

Trilla was sitting on the pilot chair, maskless, thoughtful, she didn’t have much choice, the Mustafar System possessed few planets where she may travel, yet she knew her cover would not last for long. She could not afford to simply leave Nur, then spend days in hyperspace before reaching a remote world, getting rid of this shuttle and stealing a new ship so that she could flee somewhere else. The Grand Inquisitor was probably on his way to send himself a message to Vader to let him know she had left the moon in order to meet with him, this way he would either hide the way she had opposed him before her departure either it would cut through the web of lies he suspected she had told him.

The Mustafar system was part of the Atravis sector, a planet within it was the first step, then she would be able to use the Hydian way and disappear for good. _Here we are, on the run, you’ve made your choice, they will_ _be_ _after you now._ _S_ _earch for a_ _place where they would not expect you to f_ _ind shelter_ _and leave the Empire_ _, the Sith, all of it_ _behind._

Shumavar and Tosste were two systems close to her current position, she could reach them in less than an hour, the jump would be quick. Tosste was a lifeless, desolated rocky planet, though Shumavar was inhabitated, she would easily manage to get there, remain unnoticed, deceive the spaceport authorities, acquire a new ship and get rid of this one. It was decided, no time to lose, she set a course for Shumavar. As the view through the cockpit switched from darkness and stars to stretched stars and finally the characteristical and hypnotizing hyperspace blue and white swirl, she took a deep breath and stood up. The rumbles of the shuttle were relaxing.

Cal Kestis was now another matter. This curious Jedi had a gift to stumble from one debacle to the next, she had told him this sentence a few days ago, she would not have believed it if someone had informed her she would be in that position right now, stuck with him, forced to work with him. She didn’t know what she would do with him in the end, it would be senseless to drop him on a world where he would surely stand out and betray himself like he did on Bracca. _Bracca, why did I accept this mission with that oaf of Masana Tide ? It destroyed everything I have managed to build..._ _D_ _o_ _I really regret it ?_

She had had an argument with the Ninth Sister just before an Imperial Probe droid reported them that a scrapper had been spotted using the Force to save another one during an accident on a wrecked Venator. Her pride pushed her to go there so that Tide would not be in charge, so that she would teach her who was the superior Inquisitor and who was… _Accept the past, move on._

She had no time to dwell on the past, she needed him to cooperate, then convince him and after that, well, she shall see. She could not afford to keep him out of the next part of her plan, without his help, it would be harder. It was time to face him, again. She left the cockpit and went to the passenger compartment.

The room was dark, empty except for the trolley with a covered Kestis on it and the box on a seat she used to carry their rare stuff, Cal’s droid and the lightsabers inside. A bag of food and clothes stood next to it. He was still unconscious, she smiled, pleased with her Force ability to put the right level of pressure on the Jedi’s blood flow and easily deal with him. Of course, it was easily doable provided that the target was enervate. Hunger, torture and poison had done the job. She removed the sheet and looked at him, he looked weak, lean and vulnerable, he had only the shorts the Stormtroopers put on him before he was placed in the Bacta tank. The scars on his face and body, symbols of what he had been through. The Bacta partially offset what she had inflicted to him. She could easily kill him now, but she didn’t want to. _Why do you show such signs of weakness ? He has given you the chance to fulfill the promise you made, as well as the possibility to leave and start over._ She was undecided, maybe it was _fair_ to let him go, not that she would have feared to face him as an Inquisitor, she was stronger than him, her skills honed by the Jedi and the Empire, he was no match for her, however he was somehow a worthy, almost a noble opponent. With the proper training, he could become...more. _Focus on the present._ She seized his right shoulder with one hand and shook him up. _Wake up._

Cal opened his eyes, only to see her green eyes looking closely at him. _Not_ a _gain, this is a nightmare,_ _where am.._ _._ His thoughts were cut short as she spoke, her speech brief, her words succinct.

- _You will find clothes_ _and food_ _in the bag_ _next to the box_ _on the s_ _ea_ _t, t_ _here_ _is an Inquisitor outfit, it should suit you enough to make our cover credible. We are on our way to Shu_ _mavar, it used to be a Separatist world, the Empire took over._ _T_ _he Resistance is_ _non-existant_ _there, it will be easy to barter our Shuttle for a new one as well as concealing evidence of our presence there. There is a sonic shower available, use it and meet me in the cockpit when you are done._

He looked at her, confused and cautious.

- _Hurry, we don’t have the whole day Cal Kestis._ She attempted to put some disdain in her words, it was not convincing. She left him behind and went back to the cockpit, the door hissed and shut down, leaving Cal alone. He felt better, the Bacta had been a blessing, his pain almost gone, at least the physical one, the one he felt in the Force however… _What is she going to do ? How is it possible she may have_ _really_ _decided to leave and bring me along ?_ He had noticed how her face looked tired, she lacked of sleep, she was worried, still she was not one to take lightly, she remained his enemy. _Is she ?_ _It is more accurate to say she is not my ally. Yet, s_ _he didn’t kill me, she is not after me, not exactly. L_ _ooks like_ _we are in this mess together for the moment._ Cal slowed his breath, focus his thoughts, center his mind, and went to the bag to grab the outfit. He was cautious, he didn’t want to feel an echo in this outfit, it looked brand new, maybe it was not already defiled by the Dark Side. He gathered his courage and grabbed it, he felt nothing. He noticed that box near this bag, a rather big box. When he looked inside, he felt an immense joy as he saw BD-1 rather intact, a bit busted for sure but nothing he couldn’t fix. He tried to activate his buddy right away, only to be disappointed. The sound indicated that the droid had run out of battery. _Makes sense, you’ve been through a lot bud…_ Next to BD, he saw two lightsabers. He stepped back, it was hers and his. They shaped a circled cross, one on the other. They would surely give him nausea if he touched one of them now. _Cere… I am sorry I could not save you. I swear your death won’t be in vain, I know that’s what you would have told me,_ _we can’t let the sacrifice of those close to us be for nothing_ _._ _We have to act, not to hide._ _I know you believed there was still good in her, I have felt it too, in spite of all she has done. I will try, for you._ He felt the Force, strongly, ready to be used, whatever may come to pass, he now had a chance to do what was right, besides, he was not really alone. Maybe he could convince Trilla to find Greez and Merrin, he will have to expose her his plan. He removed the shorts and entered the shower, he felt purified, the last remains of dirt gone, his skin and hair rather healthy, the scars and faint traces of burnt flesh a reminder of his past experience, he had managed to face every trial so far, he didn’t plan on giving up now. He put on this Inquisitor outfit, and looked at his reflect in the mirror, it was not as horrible as he thought, except the Imperial emblem on it, it was rather comfortable, his movements not limited, the fabrics suitable for combat if necessary.

He grabbed two rations, checked them and left the room to enter the cockpit. The rumbles of the hyperdrive, the hum of the engines indicated him that they were in hyperspace. Trilla was on the pilot chair, her mask laid on the other one. She didn’t move her head to grant him, not that she had a reason to do it he assumed.

Cal didn’t feel at ease, her presence made him cautious of a trap, though his wits told him he had nothing to fear from her at the moment, he was irresolute when it deals with Trilla, she has done terrible things, she has let the Dark Side consumed a part of her, but he also knows that this part of her still exists, deeply buried beneath anger, sarcasm, fear and pain there is this former Jedi part of her. It makes him both sad and disappointed, for what happened to her and for his failure at fixing things when he had the chance. Yet, the Force kept pushing him in her direction, or her in his. Her reply brought him back to reality.

- _You think too loud, is it really that difficult for you to be able to control your mind ?_

She slowly turned her seat, and she slightly smiled when her eyes posed on his Inquisitor uniform. It was a bit too large for him, yet acceptable. _You almost look credible._

Cal’s eyes lowered his gaze on himself, he felt his face blush. _-I don’t intend to keep it for long, if that’s what you have in mind. I’ll play_ _your game if it grants us a way out, as soon as we are safe, I’ll get rid of it. And, please, stop reading my mind…_

 _-And if I refuse ?_ She raised an eyebrow, making him more foolish than he already felt in front of her. He didn’t reply and moved forward to give her the ration. _You need to eat_ _something_ _._

Her smile disappeared, she had been the one who starved and tortured him, and here he was the one to offer her a meal, would she ever truly understand the logic behind his thoughts ? _You are someone special,_ _aren’t you ?_

 _-_ _What are you planning for us after we get away with another ship ?_

Us again ? So he didn’t think about leaving her alone too ? So that he would have a look on her whereabouts perhaps ?

 _-I’ll figure it out in time. For now,_ _we_ _eat and prepare for the arrival._

Cal nodded, then noticed that she had her lightsaber attached to her belt. _The one with which she killed Cere._ He shuddered, he was conflicted, he couldn’t repress his will to help, but he also wanted to blame her for the last decisions she had made by killing her. During their fight, she had been submerged by the Dark Side, her eyes unnatural, scary.Once more, she interrupted him.

_-You rely so much on the Force to understand your surroundings yet you let yourself be deceived by your sight and feelings, emotions, didn’t your Master teach you how to be quiet and really «see» things for what they are through the Force ? You expose yourself Cal Kestis. It may kill you one day._

- _Teach me that. Teach me to protect my thoughts, I need to be prepared for the next time, when we’ll have to fight._ It almost surprised her how his face quickly changed from puzzled to determined, it amused her in a way.

- _What_ , _do you think we’ll fight_ _again_ _? A rematch would not lead to a diff_ _e_ _rent outcome._ She replied with sarcasm, yet she was well aware that he didn’t mean it this way, he was talking about a common fight, as partners, against common enemies. Once more, he had managed to make her feel some...doubt ? Surely, _it was not guilt_ , she tried to convince herself.

- _I am not speaking about that, you’re better than me, I know it._ _H_ _appy_ _to hear it_ _? I also know you’re not mindless, the Empire will be after us, both of us, bounty hunters too, either to kill us or bring us back to this place…_ He had barely touched the nutritious ration tube he held in his hand, his face still focus on the matter they would eventually face.

As she opened her mouth to reply, the computer beeped to let them know it was time to prepare for arrival, they would leave hyperspace in ten seconds.

_-We’ll finish this conversation later. Grab some seat and prepare yourself. Just do as I say and it will be fine._

_-Not that I’ve much choice anyway._ He said while rolling his eyes.

The swirl of hyperspace disappeared, darkness and stars retrieved their place though a yellowish planet occupied most of their sight through the canopy. An Imperial Star Destroyer was in orbit, a few Tie Fighters patrol visible in the vicinity. An alarm rang, the spaceport was contacting them, usual procedure.

_Shuttle Tydirium 11-38, you are approaching an Imperial restricted area, send the clearance codes or prepare to be apprehended._

Trilla pressed a button and replied with a nasty tone.

- _Authorization Besh, Isk, Senth, level 5._

There was a silence for a few seconds before a shaky voice informed them that everything was fine, they had unlimited access to the docking bay Aurek. They were told the Commander of the spaceport would wait for them there.

Trilla turned to Cal, _You don’t speak, you keep your face strict and let me handle the rest. Grab the_ _bag and_ _box_ _when we land._ He nodded and finished his meal, before he added _You know, I can handle myself_.

- _Then prove it, for once._ She retorted.

As they approached the spaceport, they had a view on the landscapes, it was mosty plains and lowlands, a pastoral world, nothing special and rather isolated from the rest of the galaxy. The traffic was pretty limited, still a few hundreds ships animated the sky above the spaceport. A few cities and lonely houses visible on the horizon.

Trilla led the shuttle to the dedicated circular bay and touched down properly. She launched a complete wipe out of the shuttle’s computer data, no one would be able to use anything against them.

Cal was quiet, she felt his stress. She had put her mask on her face in order to sound more threatening, it always worked with Imperial minions. The ramp gave them access to the hangar, dirty, empty, far from the sanitized atmosphere one would expect to find in Imperial official areas.As they descended, they saw a few meters ahead an Imperial patrol, an Imperial officer in a black uniform plus ten Stormtroopers, five in two columns.

The commander stepped forward and bowed.

- _It is an honor to see you here Inquisitors, I was not informed an inspection was planned but I am sure you will find everyth…_

 _-Spare me your meaningless greetings Commander, the garrison on this pathetic planet has been going soft for too long, we are here to fix that. The Emperor is not pleased to see those who serve on backwater_ _worlds_ _show less commitment to the Empire._

Even without the Force, it was easy to see and smell the fear of the officer, he was not so young, in his mid thirties, though his physical aspect showed he spent most of his time on a chair enjoying treats rather than being zealous, an impressive belly, and greasy hair under his cap.

- _I apologize, I assure you we take our duty here seriously, please let me show you..._

 _-_ _I believe you may have seized illegal properties, smuggling goods, illegal items, ships…_

 _-Of course, the_ _confiscated_ _items are in the Area Krill-13, the prisoners in the cells, Area Peth, their_ _basic commodities,_ _properties and ships in the Hangar Xesh. f_ _ifteen_ _prisoners are ready for interrogation if you desire to have information, or I can lead you to the ships…_ The officer was now sweaty.

 _-Let’s start with the_ _hangar_ _, shall we ?_ Cal was quiet, impressed to see how all this deception seemed almost natural for Trilla, he wondered how he would have been able to survive in the Empire ranks if she had not decided to include him in her plan. He valued integrity and honesty, as a Jedi he wanted to remain righteous and serve the Order ideals, the Empire had destroyed everything, the Sith, Palpatine… He remembered the Holocron Cere had showed him, Master Kenobi’s warnings, one day a new hope would rise and bring balance to the Force.

_-This one is an old Dynamic-Class freighter, pretty suitable for the so-called team of historians_ _we’ve arrested_ _, we still don’t know_ _exactly_ _what they were doing_ _here_ _n_ _or_ _why they used a ship that old,_ _she may have been at the forefront of the market in the Old Republic_ _but now she would only be fine for display_ _._ _Yet, s_ _h_ _e_ _has been modified to match current standards though she’s been through a lot. History must be a cover for smugglers I assume._ The commander told them as they entered the hangar, it was as dusty as the rest of the spaceport, empty except for cables, cases, items and markings of fuel that were scattered across the hangar. Yet Cal was agape, he had seen a similar ship in the Jedi Archives, he remembered the story of Revan and Meetra Surik, the legendary Ebon Hawk, the Jedi Civil War, it was exactly the same model, of course not the same ship, archives mentioned the ship had been lost on the Sith world Dromund Kaas more than three thousand years ago.

The two other ships were Z-95, common starfighters. _These two starfighters have been captured, the two pirates are currently in custody along with the others._

_-Is there anything left in the freighter ?_

_-The commodities are still aboard, we’ve only removed the spice_ _they had hidden. We haven’t siphoned the fuel on the three ships, we are waiting to know their confession before sending them to dismantlement. May I do anything to satisfy you my Lords ?_

Trilla was about to speak when Cal stepped in, with a subtle hand movement, he used the Force to trick the officer. _You will release the prisoners and let them leave this world with the shuttle we’ve used to arrive, if anyone asks you, you will tell that we’ve left with our shuttle and that you’ve released the prisoners as nothing proved they were guilty of illegal smuggling and give_ _n_ _them back their spice and belongings. You will erase the records of this day_ _and those of the freighter_ _, there has been a technical issue._

Trilla grabbed his arm, she was close to him, too close, he feared he would let go of his mind trick, though she released him when the Commander replied obediently I _will release the prisoners and let them leave this world with the shuttle_ _you_ _’ve used to arrive, if anyone asks m_ _e_ _,_ _I_ _will tell that_ _you_ _’ve left with_ _y_ _our shuttle and that_ _I_ _’ve released the prisoners as nothing proved they were guilty of illegal smuggling and give_ _n_ _them back their spice and belongings. I will erase the records of this day_ _and those of the freighter_ _, there has been a technical issue._ The stormtrooper in charge moved closer to them, _My Lord, what are you doing ?_ Trilla turned to face him and used the Force on all of the squad, _Everything is under control, you didn’t see anything unusual. Everything is under control, we didn’t see anything unusual. You may leave now. We may leave now._ They all had that satisfied voice and look of a well done job, _Weak minds_ Trilla thought, though she smiled behind her mask, Kestis had for once taken an initiative that was not too bad. She had feared his mind trick would not work as his skills were rusty, that he would spoil everything, it seems she had once more underestimated him, _he is more resourceful than he looks,_ _he may learn_ _._

Cal had a genuine smile on his face as he watched the Imperials leaving the hangar, it had worked, mind trick wasn’t his speciality and he had not used it in a long time, he attempted to hide his gladness though he failed utterly when he looked at Trilla who removed her mask. Her sleek hair fell on the side of her face, she gave him a hint of smile, _You may have yet much to learn, but you have your moments._ Surely it was the adrenaline that made Cal cheeks blush once more. They both boarded the ship and headed to the cockpit, the design was pretty old from the outside, though the inside proved that she clearly was used by smugglers. The layout, cabins, navicomputer, the inner contents of the cases in the cargo hold, there was a lot of hidden areas, weapons, gears, food and stims, the hyperspace routes were detailed and mentioned shortcuts. They would discover her secrets later, the ship was theirs for the moment, it was time to leave. Cautious not to touch anything for the moment, Cal sat in the co-pilot chair.

They received the authorization to depart by the commander and Trilla sent a different Imperial code to the Imperial patrols in orbit, they were quickly out of the gravity well of the planet when she jumped to hyperspace. They left the outer rim behind, they would make several jumps to increase their chances to remain unnoticed. They agreed to reach the other side of the galaxy, giving them time to decide what they would do then. The mid rim or the Tingel arm would grant them access to a large selection of worlds.

She was on the pilot chair, him on the other one. They had been talking over the last two hours, the ship still flying through hyperspace. BD-1 was on Cal’s legs, charging and connected to the nearest outlet, hopefully his friend would be back within a few hours. Cal had tried to explain her why he wanted to get in touch with Merrin and Greez, his friends, told her what he had done with his crew, he wanted to explain them what happened, to let them know he was safe, to find a way to recover or destroy the Holocron, he may be stubborn but her arguments were better than his. _They may be anywhere, your witch may have managed to keep your ship away from Imperial sensors, though her powers are not limitless, they fled before being captured. They had to let you down when they didn’t manage to reach you_ _, at least they had the senses to save themselves when they had the chance._ _Besides, your comlink was destroyed after I beat you,_ _nothing could tell them you were alive_ _. What would you tell them anyway, how would you explain them why you are here with me today ?_ _As for the Holocron, forget it, you won’t take it back from Vader, no one can, except the Emperor._ _Brave doesn’t have the same meaning than wise,_ _d_ _on’t you think_ _?_

He didn’t respond, he knew that Greez would be mad, Cere was dead and Cal had worked with her murderer to get out of the Empire. Yet, he could not let them down. What would they think of him ?

- _You know, I’ve wondered a lot about it, you call me a murderer, what do you think you are Cal Kestis ? How many lives have you taken so far ?_ Cal didn’t know when her sarcasms had stopped to make him only angry, and instead he considered her words. He had killed many Imperials, it was true, on Bracca, Zeffo and Kashyyyk, even in the sacred Temple on Ilum. His first kill was on this train, after Prauf’s death. He had not been involved in the battlefields of the Clone Wars. He was too young, Master Tapal did not let him follow him, he had to stay behind and practice. His kills were for survival, justice, freedom, _Jedi were peacekeepers, we were betrayed by those we protected._

- _You are naive, it is entertaining to observe you, to watch you, you think only in Dark and Light, like a Jedi,_ _when I have hope that you can see something else, you eventually go back to square one. Intriguing._

_-I asked you to leave my mind alone._

_-It’s not my fault, you deliver me your feelings, doubts and thoughts on a plate, I just have to look and see._

_-How do you do that ? I want to learn and undo it._ He said it with eagerness, passion. It almost made her pleased to see someone willing to spend time with her, to share something, he didn’t want to hurt her or abuse her, he felt resentment against what she had done, but he did not hate her, he prefered to consider her as the former Jedi she used to be than the one who was deeply injured in front of him. In the last case, he couldn’t help to try to heal something he was not capable of handling or truly understanding.

Her head tilted on her right. _Why do you want that much to save me ? For her ? For me ? To fulfil_ _l_ _your Jedi duty ?_ Her question was sincere. Sometimes, he tried to probe her, he felt either a wall either transparent access to her feelings. Sometimes, she gave him the impression she was willing to share her feelings, before the wall came back.

- _The three reasons I suppose. I know what you are capable of, I have seen it, through the Force and with my eyes._

 _-Your eyes deceive you, you cannot understand the galaxy_ _and its beings_ _if you look at it through a keyhole. You lack focus Kestis._ _You rely deeply on the Force and somehow you can’t control it properly._

_-Do you have ever called someone by his name in another way than sarcasm or disdain ?_

She smiled, _Your rhetoric needs practice, eventually you may manage to be eloquent._

_-Listen Trilla, I meant it, I want you to teach me. I don’t know where the Force will lead us, but what has happened is no accident, the Force has a plan for us, I want to be prepared when the time comes._

_Here we are, again, this combination of faith, determination and vulnerability._ She knew a part of it was true, she had felt it too, the Force guided them in a common direction, the purpose remained unclear yet.

 _-Tomorrow, we need to sleep, both of us. We will train, and I may show you a few tricks._ It was the end of the conversation, she left him there, the ship would be flying automatically so she went to her private room. The ship had plenty of rooms and beds, they both had chosen one to have some privacy.

Later that night, she was on her bed, meditating, her two lightsabers in front of her, levitating, dismantled. One was made of a synthetic crystal, the second one she had used to kill Cere. Her first ligthsaber, the one she had built on Ilum and changed after she turned, it had been slightly damaged as she hit it with her second lightsaber, though the natural crystal within was still intact. In a way. She had made him «bled», a Sith ritual to twist and corrupt the essence of the crystal. There were three types of lightsaber crystals, synthetic, less powerful, easy to find and would prove to be useful thanks to the other components in a lightsaber hilt. The others were the usual lightsaber crystals attuned to the Force, found in caverns like Ilum or Dantooine, different varieties existed. The rarest were the ones that matched a Jedi’s heart. Some very special crystals responded only to Light or Dark Side Force users. She remembered her journey on Ilum with Cere, when they travelled together to the planet, prior to the Clone Wars, prior to the Jedi Council’s decision to gather several Younglings at the same time to travel to Ilum and find a Crystal by themselves with a Jedi Master to protect them. _Protect. Some of them did their duty to protect the others, some of them died for that. Jaro Tapal gave his life so that his Padawan may live._ Did she feel jealousy ? Would she have prefered to learn her Master’s death to protect her and the Younglings ? Maybe. But she also saw truth in what Kestis had told her a few days ago, Cere was forced to reveal her location. Cere who accepted her fate, her death by her own apprentice, telling her to save herself and move on, using the remnants of their Force bond to help her, to guide her.

She remembered Cere’s words on Ilum, the atmosphere, the snow, the wind, the crystals, the cavern, the darkness and yet the power of the Light Side in this Temple.

_The_ _B_ _lade, the Jedi, the Crystal, they are one._ _The Crystal is a manifestation of a Jedi’s connection to the Force, the Crystal is the heart of the_ _B_ _lade, the heart is the Crystal of the Jedi, the Jedi is the Crystal in the Force, the Force is the_ _B_ _lade of the h_ _eart_ _. All of them intertwined._ _Remember the Jedi Code, use your Lightsaber for good, justice, protection. A Jedi doesn’t seek aggression._ _You are a Jedi Trilla._ She remembered when she constructed her lightsaber, the peace, the feelings, the connection, Jedi didn’t always use personal Kyber Crystals, it was easier to find regular Adegan ones on Ilum or synthetic if need be. Though for a Jedi, a crystal attuned to the Force was much better. Regardless of the kind of crystal used, a Jedi could infuse the Force in it, to alter it, or connect with it.

The red blades, the red crystals in her lightsabers were her past. Her eyes closed, she let the Force flow through her, in a few minutes, she had altered the synthetic crystal, connecting with it, she rebuilt the lightsaber though removed the circle used by the Inquisitors, the hilt was more regular this way. She did not look at the result, she saw it in her mind. She went back to her real crystal, she could feel the sufferings in it, its twisted shape, the sense of betrayal, anger, pain, she had forced it to submit, to give up, she had refused to bend in front of the Force, instead she had imposed her will to the Force to make it her tool. The Force was now giving her a second chance, ready to forgive her sins, when she thought she had lost everything, she had found out that she could lose more and had an opportunity to move on. The Force trusted her. She focused on her crystal, let the Force penetrate the crystal, she slowly let willingly the faint and repressed light buried in her flowing through her, like a stream of water, ready to leave the river to meet the sea and the ocean, through the Force, she felt her crystal recovering, healing, becoming pure again. She had made mistakes in her life, some to survive, some when she had lost herself. She let the Force work through her, rebuild her saber and also remove the Inquisitor circle hilt. When she opened her eyes, she felt tired, though proud of the two hilts in front of her, she had two double bladed lightsabers ready to be used. She took the synthetic one, this one was her actual position in the Force, she was not surprised when a purple blade illuminated her face and the walls. _Dark and Light, control and balance,_ _she had known the Light and seen the Dark_ _._ She turned it off, and took the other one, her _real_ lightsaber. She closed her eyes and activated the weapon. She waited a few seconds, connected herself with her blade, her crystal. She deactivated the blade without looking at the color with her own eyes, she knew it, she knew the color was back, the same it used to be on Ilum, on her different missions, on Coruscant when Order 66 and Operation Knightfall were launched. Her future was not fully obvious, though she saw a path forward, and Cal was at her sides. _You need someone’s help._ Cere’s last words echoed once more in her mind. What would she think of her now ? She had learned to ignore such questions, now she was almost ready to consider them again.

For the first time in years, she managed to sleep without nightmares.

Trilla had gone to her room, Cal was in the cockpit, looking through the glass at the swirl of hyperspace. BD would soon be fully reloaded, the battery at full power. Cal sat on the floor, meditating, the lights from the panels and star map nearby as well as the spectacle of hyperspace made him relaxed, he decided to reconsider the recent events, everything that had happened, the failure on Nur, Cere’s death, Trilla’s pain, fear, the torture, the hunger, the isolation, the void without the Force, Trilla’s decisions, their conversation, her story, her betrayal against the Empire, his rescue, their escape, they way they were both connected through the Force to face whatever the path ahead of us may be. In Cal’s spirit, he saw the Force as a hurricane, a wind so powerful it might destroy everything, but in the heart of the storm, there was peace, a Light, a shelter, the Force, it would protect the Jedi ready to accept it and grant him means to serve its will. Jedi had different ways to understand and represent the Force, some spoke about wind, water, fire, energy, air, lines, knots, cells, it was unique for every single Force sensitive being. The eye in the storm showed him that he was going through an ocean whose waves were dreadful, the connection between them would fuel the storm, though the energies may eventually calm down and find peace, leading to a quiet sea and a sweet wind. _Persistance reveals the path, hopefulness gives you the incentive to act._ He felt her presence, she was meditating too, she was within reach, but he decided to give her some space, to let her find some peace, he knew something had changed, she was less angry, less hostile, with time he might help her, bring her back. _Trust only in the Force._ If the Force told him to stay with her, he would listen. They needed each other to survive. It simply required patien…

Knocking on his face, chest and back pulled him out of his trance, he heard resounding beeping noise as his eyes opened, BD-1 jumped on his head and put pressure on him so that he fell to the floor, laughing, _I’m glad to see you too buddy, calm down, we are safe now !_ He had to grab him with both hands to stop him from moving everywhere, this little droid represented so much for him, a trustworthy friend, someone he could rely on and watched his back. Trilla had told him she had picked him up so that no Imperials would eventually discover his secrets, though he guessed that she also wanted to give him back his droid and saber to earn his trust, and ease their collaboration. Cal explained the droid everything, BD was sad for Cere’s death, angry for Cal’s torture and puzzled by Trilla’s choices, he suggested him to be cautious, she was not the one who deserved to be trusted. Cal reassured him and headed to his room when he heard a lightsaber hum coming from Trilla’s room. Cal didn’t need the Force to suppose what happened, he would take the odds and see tomorrow morning during their training if his intuition was correct, with a grin, BD on his shoulder, he let himself fall on his bed.

Merrin’s legs were suspended in the void beneath the cliff, she was sitting on the edge, the Bogling Cal Kestis had found and adopted on Bogano nestled in her arms. The desolate landscape of Dathomir visible below, rocks, rifts, beasts, ruins, mountains, swamps, wastelands still it remained her first home.

This little creature was soft, it gave her comfort and ease her sorrow. His big eyes symbolised his purity, she could see his soul, he sought affection, caring and protection. Cal had given him that since he saved him. Cal Kestis, he had showed her how Malicos had deceived her to use her magick for selfish purposes. Her fallen sisters, her fallen clan, Mother Talzin’s clan, she had felt alone for years before Cal offered her a place for a new beginning. And now Cal was gone. She didn’t feel or see anything, she didn’t know what happened.

She had managed to keep the Mantis hidden for hours before her powers whittled down, she was tired. Greez had become restless and nervous, _Something is wrong, the kid and Cere should be back already._ He had no other choice than to withdraw the ship, to get them out of reach of the Imperials starfighters and Star Destroyers. They had waited a few hours more, Greez’s anxiety became contagious, _They can’t be dead, they can’t have been captured, where are they ?_ The comlink didn’t work, only crackling was audible. _What do we do Greez ?_ Merrin had asked, it was not her ship and she didn’t have enough energy left to get herself on the surface, the power of her coven was not limitless that far from Dathomir. Greez had looked at her with a wan face. _Huh_ ? W _hy do you ask me, I am not the one in charge of suicide mission, I don’t know._ _I am no Jedi. I know that I am pretty upset to wait for nothing,_ _why don’t you_ _use your witchcraft and save them ?_ _That’s a plan._

_-I can’t, not here, my magick won’t be so easily used here, on Dathomir I was bonded with the coven in the spirit realm to use our abilities in the real world._

Greez had a crazy look on his face and his four arms were fighty. _You’re kidding me, right ? You must be kidding, no way we’re leaving them down there with those maniac_ _s_ _ready to slaughter them._

His loyalty was remarkable, however Merrin doubted it would prove to be useful. _We only waste our time here, whatever happened to them, we won’t find out by staying here, so we get there and get killed by the Empire, either we go back to Dathomir and I gather the magick I need to reach them and save them._

With wide eyes, Greez had looked at her, whispering to himself and finally went to the pilot chair. _Let’s get back to your world, find what you’re looking for and hurry to come back to my ship._ Greez had remained quiet since, he still did the cooking for both of them but she could tell he was on edge, without his allies he was alone, like her. Yet, he trusted her, _after all a girl who eats her steak rare can’t be that bad, huh ?_

Merrin would do what she never had thought herself capable of, she would go to the place Mother Talzin had disappeared, call her and ask for help, guidance. Her residual energy in the spirit realm would guide her, give her the strength to do what was necessary. She owed Cal Kestis that.

She had tried to relax and think of a way to reach this sacred altar. She would do it alone, no ship would manage to approach the area without suffering the effect of Nightsisters magicks and curses.

When they reached Dathomir, Greez simply told her to do what she had to. He was obviously disturbed. The bogling had stayed close to her since the incident above Nur, Mustafar’s moon. She had decided to take him with her, it made her feel braver. Greez would stay on the Mantis, too afraid to face the dangers of Dathomir.

She had been walking for hours, supplies in a small bag on her back when she felt the need for a break, she saw that cliff nearby, decided to rest, center herself and prepare for the challenge she was about to face. Her determination was intact, her fear under control, she simply wondered whether or not it would be enough. As she resumed her journey, she saw a ship enter the atmosphere of her world. It was about to land near the Mantis. The bogling still in her arms, her eyes widen, Greez was in danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to let me know what you think, all of your remarks are welcome !


	5. Crossroads

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part of the story which was supposed to be in the previous chapter, that's why it's a bit shorter than usual, I hope you'll enjoy it !  
> As always, thanks for your readings and comments.
> 
> I suggest you two music for this chapter.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBwlZWkgcJo  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfsJTuNMkfE

**** **Chapter 4/** **Crossroads**

Merrin faced a dilemma. She had convinced Greez to come back here in order to eventually rescue Cal and Cere. Back in the void of space, it remained the best decision. Her lucidity urged her to retreat on her homeworld so that she would find a way to achieve the power she lacked. Here on Dathomir, where her sisters were murdered, she sensed their presence, the energy emanating from their graves. She may have used her magick to revive some of them though a large majority was still buried. It was easy to use their combined power in their ancestral territory, the might would be even higher once she reached her Mother’s altar. In less than two hours, she would be there, she needed her strength. The other tribes across the planet would not help her, rivalry among clans remained, they didn’t all share the same beliefs.

Yet, the incoming ship she was now watching frightened her, it was a dark omen, the way she controlled her magick was nothing similar to the ways of the Force for the Jedi, but it was the same source of energy, she could grasp warnings for what they were, understand things before they happen, and right now, her senses were yelling at her, this shuttle would bring nothing but death here. If she used her powers now, she may be able to teleport herself back to the Mantis, it would cost her too much, she would probably not manage to oppose the threat and darkness, Greez and her would not manage to escape in time, they would die or worse. Was it the Empire ? If she hurried to reach her goal, she may learn the power, contact her Mother, communicate with her sisters, they would lend her their wisdom, knowledge and power, she would then prevail, overcome the darkness, maybe be back in time to protect Greez, the little creature and save her friends stuck on this moon. It meant she had to give up Greez for now. Her heart twisted, she could not afford to take that chance, to give up her quest, why would her projects always be thwarted by her fate ? _Mother, please, lend me your wisdom, guide me._ As an answer, she felt a cold wind on her face, in the direction of the altar, she shivered but recognized it for what it was. _I am sorry Greez, I’ll be back, hold on._ She hugged tightly the bogling who had started to shudder, the fur bristly, she put her hood on and ran towards her Mother’s call.

Greez was mad, the only two beings he had accepted to trust with his own life, apart his family, were missing, probably prisoners or dead. He didn’t stand a chance against the Empire, it made him sick and furious of his inability to act, he was no fighter, no leader, his job was to pilot a ship, cook and avoid trouble, especially after gambling. Cere had taken care of him in exchange of his service, the kid was pretty messed-up though he had learned that he was worth his trust and more gifted than he looked. He cared about them, and now he was on this awful planet, dead witches ready to eviscerate him outside. He was anxious, impatient to leave and get back there, the witch had better be right about her plans, it was their only hope, the only one crazy enough that may work.

The ship was quiet, he had sealed it for more safety, he was either cooking either gardening, what a terrarium the kid had helped him to create by the way. The smell of meat overwhelmed his nostrils, it was his pride back on Lateron to cook, he was worth his great grandmother, he wished to go back there but it was impossible, he would not let his friends down, not for long at least.

As he sat on a chair and salt his plate, he screamed when he saw a lightsaber cutting through the hull.

As they entered the atmosphere, Vader felt a disturbance in the Force, something had happened in the Inquisitors’ ranks, the extent of the issue, uncertain. He would deal with it later. More important matters were at stake.

_-Is the Spirit urn still in place ?_

_-Yes my Lord, tightly tied up, the ashes of our master are secured._

_-Good. You stay on the ship, I’ll handle the witch myself._

The data carried by 11-4D, the DNA and cells, as well as the Sith Spirit urn in which Sidious had placed the remains of Darth Plagueis would definitely grant Darth Vader what he desired. At first he had anticipated a trap from the droid, their intentions could not be sensed through the Force, though their plan had been considered a lot over the last months, he judged the odds worth the risk.

The Dark Side echo from this urn was powerful, even Vader felt it without a psychometry ability. It had been easy to switch the urn with another one while collecting a part of the ashes under Palpatine’s nose on Coruscant. His master was too busy and focus on internal political matters, bureaucracy, he was too proud, even in the Empire these issues could not be considered lightly. Vader got up and went to the passenger compartment, 11-4D had had access to restricted storage thanks to Sidious’ overconfidence, he had managed to gather other items over the last months that may be used, Plagueis’ lightsaber, his ancient Sith robe, everything that was related to the Muun Sith Lord may reveal interesting knowledge thanks to the Jedi’s ability. This power combined with the Nightsister’s would lead to a pathway to secret abilities Sidious had once called unnatural, Vader would succeed where the ancient Sith apprentice had failed, he would overcome death, be the one to decide who deserved to live or die, more importantly he would fix an unfair death.

As they approached the ground, they saw the ship reported by the Imperial probe droid, a dozen had been dispatched across the surface of Dathomir, it was a start. The ship was on an isolated wasteland, near ruins and a temple in advanced decrepitude. The shuttle landed and Vader headed outside. He felt one presence on the ship, it was not the Nightsister, she had left to another place, he would hunt her down and submit her will. Though it was necessary to check every contingency, he grabbed his lightsaber and jumped on top of the hull. This vessel matched the reports of the Second Sister, the one used on Bracca to rescue the Jedi. He could also feel that this ship was related to Cal Kestis, he had been aboard before being captured. The red blade came to life and cut through the metal a clean circle which fell on the floor, Vader entered, the Latero in front of him would surely have a heart attack soon. _Wow wow wow, wh..who..who are yuh ? Get out of my ship !_ The breathing noise from Vader mask added the nice touch of dread to break this pitiful creature quickly.

_Where is the witch ?_

His eyes widen, of course he knew, yet like the others, he would try to resist at first. His breathing was hard, he attempted to contain his dread. Vader would smile if he was still able to do it. _You would be wise to surrender, do not make me kill you for nothing._

Greez’s senses told him he could not trust the Imperial scum, whoever he was, an Inquisitor or even a Sith, in front of him. However, he wanted to speak, his brain urged him to speak, a pressure on his head persuaded him to speak.

He stuttered but gave away Merrin’s destination, _Sh...She is...heading to an...altar, some k...kind of altar_ _in the North..._ _beyond the_ _Zeffo_ _Temple_ _...Her mother’s...She seeks...ancient powers... I_

Vader didn’t give him time to finish, he choked him and brought him closer to him thanks to the Force, his blade cut two of his arms before he stabbed him in the heart. Vader deactivated the blade while watching the lifeless body fell on the ground, his nerves making the corpse move erratically.

- _Lord Vader ?_ 11-4D brought him back to reality as his comlink crackled.

_-What is it ?_

_-We’ve received an incoming transmission from the Grand Inquisitor, he wants to inform you that the Jedi has been turned, the Second Sister is on her way to present you their last recruit on Coruscant._

_...So this is it, she may be cleverer than I gave her credit for, she has escaped along with the Jedi. That won’t change anything, in the end they will come to me willingly, serve and die. This coward of Inquisitor, retarded and blinded by his pride..._ Anger and excitation roared in him, he would crush them all soon.

 _-Send a message to let him know I will deal with his_ _own_ _incompetence later, he is to stay on Nur until my return, I will_ _take care of_ _the fugitives_ _myself_ _._

_-Understood my Lord._

_You will come to me Cal Kestis, your destiny lies with me._ Vader took a pouch out of his belt and knocked over its contents, the fragments of the destroyed Holocron fell on the dead body. Surely the echo of the murder would be strong enough to lure Cal Kestis into his trap. _I’ll be waiting for you on Korriban, do not make me wait Jedi,_ _if you want to save your friend,_ _face your destiny, c_ _ome to me_ _._

Without a look at the empty ship, he jumped out of it and headed North, to the altar, the caverns where the leader of the Nightsisters had been defeated near the end of the Clone Wars.

He called to the Force, used the residual darkness in his surroundings to boost his abilities and rushed to his destination.

He was coming, Merrin’s senses warned her, the incoming threat will catch her up soon, she felt a coldness in her body, it threatened to freeze her, to undermine her will. _You are not alone, if he faces you, he’ll face all the coven, all the Nightsisters, you won’t be left alone once more, keep going._

She grew tired yet she finally had the cavern leading to the altar in sight. The air was heavy, the atmosphere piercing, she smelled death in the air, power and corruption, she did not remember her Mother’s influence this way, her aura used to be overpowering because of her charisma and natural talents, yet not so crushing. The night would fall soon, the sunset would take away the red light that had illuminated her path, it became narrow, a tortuous way through rocks and sand, night was worse than day on Dathomir, ancient menace would arise and dispose of unprepared travelers.

The bogling suddenly began to struggle, to leave her cuddle, he bit her and ran away, she didn’t try to go after him, otherwise her endeavor would have been for nothing, both of them would be doomed. She was trapped, the place where her mother’s spirit remained was cursed, the threat aboard the shuttle would trespass this sacred location, she was conflicted, afraid. _All I do know is having a lightsaber isn’t what makes you a Jedi._ Cal Kestis told her days ago, his own experience had changed his perspective, but for her ? _What makes a Nightsister ?_ She thought about it, the answer seemed obvious, _loyalty, devotion, faith, magick, the unity of the coven._ She had spent years waiting for something she could not reach until Cal explained her the mistakes she had made, to let her life be decided by liars, to live in the past. What she was now undertaking aimed at impacting the future, hers, Cal’s, all of them.Yet, she was too close to fail again and let her doubts dominate her decisions. She ran faster and entered the last cavern before the altar, it was gloomy, dim, a faint vapor all around her, the vapor became fog, she didn’t see the way out but caught sight of an old stone in the middle, green lines appeared around her. She stopped when she heard that loud voice in her head, the green lines intensified everywhere.

 _Child_ _._

_-Mother, I have co…_

_You are not allowed to enter this place, you have not completed your training. You are not ready for what you seek._

Merrin was terrified, she felt tiny and miserable in this huge circular and misty cavern.

- _Mother, I need you to help me, to lend me your strength, your power to protect my people._

_Your people are on this world, dead. You’ve already helped outsiders, it is against everything we’ve ever believed in. By leaving this world with them, you’ve betrayed us, all of us._ The ground began to quake, the roof and walls of the caverns too, Merrin broke down, this power was beyond everything she may have ever imagined, no wonder it was forbidden to the youngest, only the elders or advanced sisters used to penetrate Talzin’s territory.

She recognized the stone in front of her, different shades of grey and green, her face unmissable.

- _Mother, I am sorry, I need you to help me, please, I…_

_There is only one punishment for your kind, your powers won’t serve another faction, our bond is eternal, through life and death, you won’t leave this place my Child._

Merrin froze, the voice had become deafening, the green magick began to circle her, around her hands, wrists, feet, legs, waist, through her eyes, she felt her consciousness cloud, she opened her mouth to speak but the magick from her dead mother entered into her body, she started to shiver, shake when a voice interrupted her.

_That’s enough._ A wave of energy reached her, she felt her body fly across the cavern and then complete blackness.

Vader was gaining ground, the cavern ahead irradiated darkness and power. It required might and determination to trespass and survive. Creatures were nearby, malevolent and venomous spiders, hidden between rocks, ready to attack an easy prey. Suddenly, a small creature with big eyes and silky fur ran out of nowhere. As Vader looked at it, a spider jumped from above the passageway, and stung the weak creature. Curious to see such a feeble animal on a planet where the strongest beasts only had the privilege to survive, wildlife required strength to prevail, everything this small, now dead creature didn’t possess. But Vader was above it, nothing would make him retreat. With a swift stroke of his lightsaber, he cut in two the spider and crushed it on the floor. He entered the cavern.

The spectacle he saw amused him, this witchcraft was no match for the power of the Dark Side, yet he admitted it may prove to be relevant to seek new knowledge to gain power and influence, that’s what his master wanted him to check here, that the Nightsisters could be contained. Talzin had been defeated by both Jedi and Sith forces at the end of the Clone Wars, still her kin had an ability to overcome death in a different way that Plagueis sought to achieve. A bodiless being with awareness, able to interact with its close surroundings. The Nightsister in the center of the cavern was pretty young, surely malleable, she possessed a way to use the Force that neither Vader nor Sidious knew. Sith alchemy was different, it was temporary, and demanding. This sorcery was what he needed, after all, according to 11-4D, Plagueis himself had shown great interest in the power of the Nightsisters in his quest for immortality. He stepped in and while sending a Force wave, he said _That’s enough._

The young girl flew across the cavern and collided against the wall. She fell on the ground unconscious. _Good, it won’t be that difficult then._

He saw the fragments of stone, the result of Talzin’s death, her spirit was too weak to give him a real challenge, he guessed she did not even plan on fighting him, her body had been broken, only a ritual beyond his imagination may bring her back, or not. _You are nothing Talzin, your powers have abandoned you, you are defeated._ He deactivated the blade, the cavern only lighted by the presence of the green effects of her alchemy.

 _Foolish slave, you have no power over me, o_ _ur magick is_ _far more powerful than you can possibly imagine, death is not the end, it is a frontier between realms, I am here and elsewhere, I rely on nothing to exist, but you, you depend on others, on machines, your existence is your burden, your weakness, you don’t control power, power controls you._ The voice in his head was distant and deafening simultaneously. The green patterns she had crafted aimed at him, he used his lightsaber to chase them away, his blade didn’t work, the lights started to tie him up. _Are you afraid to die, Sith ?_

Vader didn’t flinch, _I have reached a point where I have nothing left to fear, witch._ Vader focused on the Dark Side, called his cold fluid to run through him, to grant him power, he screamed, a Force scream so powerful that the entiere cavern started to collapse. The sound seemed to have vanished and slowly the green lights around him disappeared. With the Force, he stopped the rocks from falling and headed towards the Nightsister. She was weak and unaware of what she had exposed herself to. Now, she was his tool, like Cal Kestis would soon be his property. He grabbed her with the other arm and reached the way out of the ancient altar. He let the rocks resumed their fall, the access was not forbidden.

- _11-4D_

_-Lord Vader ?_

_-Prepare for take off, I have what we need, I’ll be there shortly._

He looked at the desolate landscape that represented the world of Dathomir. Other Nightsisters were scattered on this wasteland, some powerful in taming creatures like Rancors, other in combat, deception and stealth, but this one was the one he needed, able to use a knowledge to revive the dead. _We will be reunited soon, I promise._

Cal woke up early, impatient to start training, it would be the chance to see if he had foreseen properly what he suspected Trilla had done in her room last night. He still felt conflict about her, he admitted that she had been through a lot, that she had her reasons to feel anger, yet he didn’t understand why the part of her that considered Cere’s choices as inevitable refused to accept it and refused to reject the negative emotions that had been twisting her for the last five years. He made a promise to try to help her, Jedi used to say that there was no try, he would fix that, he would focus on being here for her and give her the support she needed. Even if she taunted him or avoided his help, they both knew he had a knack for persistence. He felt connected to her, this feeling had become stronger with their common experience, even more after Nur. Cal was not gifted with feelings, he used to have a few friends at the Temple, but they were all busy with training and when Master Tapal had chosen him as his Padawan, the contacts with them became scarce. He prefered not to think of their fate, most of them were on Coruscant when it happened. During the Clone Wars, he used to spend time with the clones. So now to have some kind of relationship, friendship with Trilla, he was not sure to be ready. He didn’t know how many Jedi she had killed, it would be unwise to ask. He wondered why she did not escape after they broke her. He had many questions he would not dare to ask. Jedi said that one who seeks answers has the duty to ask questions, he had never thought some questions would need to be brave or fool.

He would be friendly of course, he would listen to the Force, yet he wondered if she would in the end shake his hand and settle the deal. _She’ll have to, we won’t spend the rest of our life on this ship in hiding, Greez, Merrin and the Holocron can’t be ignored._

He walked down the corridors of the freighter, cautiously touching the walls and cases, he felt echoes of the smugglers who used it, they were nothing special, they transported spice from one planet to another, weapons or goods, avoided imperial customs, nothing significant, no murderers or criminals. They had been caught on Shumavar as the customs checked the ship after the landing. They were all relatives, bunch of old friends from Corellia who had started their career after the Empire took over, after the Republic and the Jedi fell. He wondered if a list of surviving Jedi existed in the Empire, he would have to ask Trilla about it.

BD on his back beeped casually as they explored the ship in depth, he was fond of scanning everything to update his database and inform Cal of useful knowledge. When he opened a crate and found new clothes, he checked them to get rid of this Inquisitor outfit. He found boots and Corellian pants that suited him as well as basic shirts and hoodies, it was more than enough. Trilla would probably find what she needed, after all it would not make any sense if she kept her Inquisitor gear now.

As he entered the central hub of the freighter, he approached the bag where his lightsaber laid. He breathed deeply, calmed himself and grabbed it firmly. The echo came quickly, _calm yourself, let go,_ he saw their recent fight, his defeat, the moment she killed Cere again, hopefully she had not tainted his own weapon with her death, he then saw her touch his weapon in her room, study it and activate the blades, this pure yellow from his own crystal, a sharp contrast with the sick yellow hue she had had in her eyes. He came back to reality, slightly wobbly. Cal had already felt the call of the Dark Side, every Jedi was tempted but the coldness he had felt scared him so much, he wondered how one may enjoy this sensation, the Light gave him a warm embrace, protection and attention, the Dark side similar to a blackhole you would end up trapped within. Trilla was not completely consumed, even on Nur, the hope for her was real. He had told her there was nothing to save in her in his cell, he was angry, confused, he didn’t know the whole story, yet he had managed to make her doubt, his bold words would probably have cost him his life with another Inquisitor, but her, in the end she had escaped and brought him along. They were not enemies, they may become more, Cal would do that, for her, for Cere, for himself. It was true, he didn’t hate her, she had to ask forgiveness, not to him, but to herself, to Cere and the Force. He may be considered as annoying by some people, yet he believed she didn’t hate him too,

- _We definitely have to focus on your mind first, little Jedi._

BD beeped guardedly, Cal felt the droid’s legs firmly anchored on his shoulder and back.

He didn’t sense her before she spoke, he turned and noticed she had still her Inquisitor outfit. Though her face seemed somehow, pleased, rested. He gave her a slight smile, _Yeah, probably. You may consider new clothes, it’d be m_ _ore appropriate_ _whatever we do next._

She airily nodded while studying him, he wondered how she had learned to be so inquisitive at probing minds.

_-Meet me in the hold in ten minutes, grab rations, we have a day ahead of us before we reach Cato Neimoidia, let’s use this time intelligently._


	6. Trust and Force bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following part of the story, there won't be many chapters left before the end, thanks again for your support and readings !
> 
> This music is pretty cool for this chapter I believe.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vE0domGDQc

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, feel free to let me know if you have any remark to share with me, I will consider them !

**Chapter 5/ Trust and Force bond**

The rations tasted nothing special, insipid compared to Greez’s cooking, yet the proper amount of nutriments and calories sufficed to satisfy their basic needs, it remained decent and appropriate for their current situation. Cal felt much better, full of energy, his body had recovered, the forthcoming training would tell him whether or not he had assessed rightly his shape.

He turned on his lightsaber, BD stood on a case nearby, watching him and encouraging him. He started to spin his blade, casting a yellow light around him, he practiced a lightsaber base form, the Shii-Cho was the only one he felt confident to use, rather simple and convenient for any kind of situation, suitable for both defense and attack, swift and close range moves.The first form a Padawan used to learn at the Jedi Temple, the ABCs. He struggled with other forms, Soresu focused on defense though some masters said it was only a way to delay the inevitable, Ataru dealt with mobility, yet very demanding, and Djem So encompassed raw strength and strong style to defeat your opponent with unrivaled power. In his opinion, and also due to his lack of training, the Shii-Cho was the balance he needed, his style remained rather clumsy, even if he knew he had a real potential as after five years in hiding, his master’s weapon didn’t feel alien in his hand.

Cere gave him some tips throughout their journey, how to move properly, how to better hold the hilt, how to check his legs and avoid unnecessary exposure. As for Jar’Kai, when he used his split lightsaber, well, he simply trusted the Force to guide his movements, he had yet much to learn. Cere told him that the key to wield a double bladed lightsaber was to keep in mind that where one blade was located, the other was in the opposite direction, this way one would not be reckless and start spinning all over the place, resulting in losing limbs. The space in the hold was larger than on the Mantis, it meant that Trilla would take advantage of it as her technics relied on speed and mobility, on Zeffo, before he learned her identity, the way she kept moving around him had made him mad, giving him the impression to always be late, like if he couldn’t catch her up.

As he started to speed his moves, he sensed Trilla watching, she interrupted him. _You_ _will have to focus on the moment, to empty your mind so that you won’t give away what your next stroke will be. You_ _r skills are sometimes...lackluster_ _, yet I t_ _rust_ _that your…_ _dogged_ _persistence may help you rather quickly_ _with proper advice_ _. Deactivate your blade and sit on the floor._

 _-You know, it suits you better than_ _your Inquisitor garb. Didn’t think you would start a career as a smuggler._ He deactivated the blade and couldn’t help smile, she looked much more normal than he had been used to seeing her. She wore regular brown boots and Corellian pants, like him, though she had put on a chic brown leather jacket and shirts underneath matching the boots. He noticed the two sabers on each side of her belt. She didn’t smile, still he knew she had taken the compliment.

- _I guess that you are the illegal ware on the ship_ _then_ _, right ?_

Cal chuckled before he regained his seriousness and sat on the floor in the middle of the hold.

 _-So_ _, where do we start ?_

BD warned Cal not to put too much pressure on himself for the first stage of their training session, the little droid scanned him once more to double check he was fit for training.

Trilla sat cross-legged in front of him.

 _-_ _We’ll begin with your mind, how to protect it, l_ _ike other Force-sensitive, you_ _seem to have a natural ability to r_ _esist_ _someone else's influence, yet you do not know how to hide your feelings and thoughts, this is_ _one of_ _your weakness_ _es_ _._ BD beeped vigorously to stand up for Cal, he simply told him it was all right, that she said the truth, he had been exposed during lightsaber combats, it was fine against common Stormtroopers or beasts, though against an Inquisitor or Dark Jedi, it almost cost him his life.

 _-_ _Where did you learn binary ?_ She asked out of curiosity.

 _-_ _During the Clone Wars, aboard a Venator, there were plenty of Astromech droids, I used to spend some times with them outside of my training with Master Tapal, it gave me the opportunity to do something else, training was...tough, exhausting._

She slightly smiled before replying, _Pity you didn’t train as an Inquisitor, you would have seen what exhaustion_ _really_ _means._ Cal didn’t smile, even if he knew she attempted to crack a joke. He replied earnestly.

 _-_ _I know I said unpleasant things in that cell, the circumstances were...different. I’d like to let you know that, if you need to speak, well, I’m here, anytime._ _Whatever you’ve done, y_ _ou didn’t deserve what they inflicted on you_ _in the first place_ _Trilla._ He looked genuinely concerned, it both warmed her and disturbed her.

- _I’ll keep that in mind._ _Listen, y_ _our compassion is_ _inappropriate_ _,_ _no longer justified,_ _the galaxy has changed you know, people would not hesitate to use that againt you._ _T_ _he Order has fallen, those principles you_ _still_ _follow are the reason why t_ _he Empire_ _found_ _you_ _._

 _-_ _Maybe, but that’s who I am._ _Rules to survive work if you rely on yourself only, I’ve found out that one is weaker on his own. Besides,_ _I’ve learned to trust only those who deserve it. And I f_ _eel_ _that you can_ _also_ _be among them._ He looked at her, in a way that made her suddenly uncomfortable, she knew he meant it, she simply didn’t share his optimism about her, it would require time to heal her wounds and truly become capable of explaining all of her actions, admit her faults and motivations, perhaps even consider...forgiveness.

- _You are making a mistake by doing this._ She finally said, she looked at his eyes, she could guess that he had already thought about it before he started his speech.

- _I’ve learned a lot since I met you on Bracca. You may have killed my friend there, you may have killed Cere and other Jedi but…_

 _-Stop. I didn’t come to speak about that._ He could tell her frustration was increasing now, and yet she was still in front of him.

- _All right, take your time, but I think that the Trilla in front of me is not the same_ _I fought before_ _, you felt something when you killed C_ _ere_ _, something changed that day,_ _between the two of you and within you. Just want to tell you,_ _i_ _f you need me to help, I’ll be here._

Trilla closed her eyes and breathed out loudly, she simply said _Focus on yourself, Cal._

Cal tilted his head by hearing his first name, then closed his eyes too. It was time to practice, he had said what he wanted, it was now up to her to decide what to do with that.

He let the Force flow through him, while meditating his consciousness drifted, his senses extended.

He heard her voice in his head, _Calm yourself, silent your thoughts, focus on my voice._ _Now, s_ _tretch out, see beyond the_ _veil, the_ _metal, the surface_ _of things_ _, the hull_ _of the ship_ _,_ _hear beyond_ _the hum of_ _the_ _hyperdrive,_ _of the navigation computer,_ _do not think, feel the Force flow through you._ _Y_ _ou are here and absent, imagine a stream of water flowing from the mountain to the sea, the source of the wind moving the water, follow it, reach within t_ _hen_ _reach out,_ _let it carry you_ _. Now, listen, deeper, hear me,_ _the silence in the darkness of space, surrounded by stars and systems, feel your place in all this_ _._

His mind was aware of his surroundings, he had already managed to find peace while meditating, his past memories that had haunted him were gone, he had accepted the past, yet he felt her presence, she could read through him, he was naked, he didn’t see how to stop her. _Don’t see,_ _don’t think,_ _focus, breathe, center yourself, you are e_ _verywhere_ _and nowhere._ He started to feel worried, it was stronger than what he expected, she had probed him already, it didn’t use to be as unwelcome as it was now, it was not only about his thoughts, it was more. _Calm yourself._ But he couldn’t, he broke the contact, as he opened his eyes, he felt cold sweat on his face and back, Trilla on the other side seemed neutral, as if nothing had happened.

- _It may be unpleasant, but you have to go through it if you want to protect yourself, you have to find a way to defend your thoughts, your mind. You need to find the balance between who you are, your place,_ _your foe_ _and your environment._

 _-_ _This is not an easy thing._

 _-I didn’t say it was, you need to focus._ _Luckily_ _, there is no threat_ _here_ _, on the battlefield or against a Force wielder, this kind of vulnerability will give your enemy the upper hand and cost you your life. Why do you think I have always beaten you ? You expose yourself._

 _-No need to lecture me, I understand._ He was frustrated, she felt it.

- _You do not get it, it is not about opening yourself to the Force, it is about preventing others from reaching you through the Force. Let’s do it again, close your eyes and calm yourself, listen to my voice, focus on it and on your mind._ _T_ _he Force is with you, within you, around you, within me too, I can act o_ _n_ _your own mind if you don’t resist, the Force is your shield, use it._ _O_ _nly the_ _Force will protect you._ _It is not a philosophical debate about whether or not the Force has a will or is a tool, it is about the way you_ _accept to_ _let it_ _protect your mind,_ _don’t refuse the call_ _._ _This kind of training doesn’t rely on Light or Dark, it is neutral._

Cal closed his eyes and started over, he felt the center of the hurricane, himself in its center, the Force fed him, gave him energy and purpose, the Light Side took care of him, he didn’t understand how to use another part of the Force which was not Dark, he knew the cold embrace was close yet he refused to give it in. _Use the Force within and around you, see its_ _contour, its lines, its embrace wrap_ _s_ _you up, now, stand your ground._ He felt her pushing his mind, she was not going too hard, though the pressure on his head was enough to make him stumble… She could now mentally connect with his thoughts, even more, access to his brain, his memories.

 _Master ?_ He was back on the Venator, Master Tapal in his room explaining him the Jedi Code, the memories passed swiftly before him, his childhood at the Temple, the torture, his training, the lessons, Cere’s death, his Master’s guidance, his time on Bracca, his encounter with Cere, Greez and Merrin, then it came back to Order 66. He had seen it already in visions, he had failed on Dathomir, but this time he could withstand it. He didn’t feel shame about his past or actions, he let it go, he accepted the outcome, except that this time she was with him in every single memory, it was not supposed to be possible, she saw it too, Master Tapal’s death, his sacrifice for him, he could withstand the vision but couldn’t control her presence and get her out of his mind. It didn’t make sense, it was not supposed to be like this. She was now in him, she saw what he saw, his body and mind were hers. Then it stopped, as suddenly as it had started. Back in the hold. He was shuddering, catching his breath. He slowly opened his eyes to see her looking at him with wide eyes, he looked down and noticed that her left hand held his right hand, her skin soft against his. When did they touch each other ? His gaze on their contact for a few seconds, he felt petrified before he quickly removed his hand and stood up. He was confused, scared but not angry. He didn’t know what to say, blood and adrenaline ran through his veins.

BD-1, straddled on his chair was worried, he had not moved though his low lament was easily translatable. Trilla got up too and looked concerned. The malaise was palpable in the room.

Cal felt shameful to expose himself that way, he did not understand why his mind did not grant him the barrier he needed. Trilla didn’t plan to access his memory like this, she wanted to push him to the edge so that it would provoke a reaction, she didn’t expect him to let go like this, he had lost control because of her presence, she didn’t think she would have such an effect on him. In a way she felt...sorry for him, and envious. Had she been in the same situation aboard the Venator, would Cere have given her life for her ? She could not deny the connection she had felt, she had for a short moment known him like she knew herself. A hint of fear emerged in her mind, were they going to be bonded through the Force ? Her wits warned her against the dangers of such connections.

She broke the ice while staring at him, _I didn’t mean to violate your memories, they are yours._ _Like all surviving Jedi you’ve been through difficult situations._ _But you must find a way to keep them safe. Whatever we do next, we can’t afford to jeopardize our safety because you fail to handle yourself._ _The Grand Inquisitor or Vader would crush you, you won’t stand a chance._ Her words were harsh, yet Cal acknowledged their pertinence.

His consciousness had drifted once more towards the past, the same vision he had experienced on Dathomir, he remembered Merrin’s words, _Survivors, we adapt._ Trilla was a survivor too, their lifes were at stake, He was missing something, there was a connection between the Purge and the present, his interest in Trilla was...special, it worked the other way around, she felt attracted to him through the Force, it was not just a physical aspect, it was much more complicated. Even if they wanted to reject each other, which was not the case, the Force kept pushing them in the same direction, what was the final purpose of all this ? Were they the only ones to feel such conflict, such doubt ? The intimate moment they had just shared gave him the courage to ask the questions he didn’t dare ask before.

 _-Trilla, how many Jedi_ _did_ _you kill?_ _H_ _ow did you feel when you did it ? How many have survived the Purge ?_ _Why didn’t you leave them when you had the chance ?_ He seemed now desparate, it was going too far for both of them, though none of them wanted to leave. The questions struck her, it was bold, especially at this moment, yet she owed him the truth, what they had just shared gave her the sensation that time had come to confess some events. Memories she had buried, and now she was about to share them with him.

- _Roughly two hundred Jedi survived Order 66 out of ten thousand. Among the survivors, more than half of them have been killed or turned since the aftermath, the others are_ _still_ _hiding. Jedi Masters, Knights, Padawans, Younglings,_ _maybe a few dozens,_ _no one knows where they may be. Except if they reveal themselves._ His eyes were intense, the words hurt him yet he needed to hear the rest of the answers, somehow he needed to hear her story, whatever the extent of the tragedy.

- _I’ve been involved in seven_ _Jedi_ _deaths. Two happened on a common mission_ _with Inquisitors or Purge troopers._ _Eeth Koth was the most significant target though I did not land the killing blow._ _Cere is_ _not_ _the only master I’ve killed._ Her teeth gritted, he could feel her turmoil, she didn’t hide it, he suspected her memories to display before her eyes or in her mind, he felt sorry for her but not brave enough to see them at the moment. _I killed a Jedi_ _Master_ _healer on Manaan three years ago,_ _he was old, he didn’t resist, he told me the time had come to be one with the Force_ _,_ _I killed him in cold blood, his confidence and calm felt unfair, I didn’t understand why I couldn’t feel that again._ _Then, I killed a_ _Jedi scientist on Cerea_ _the following year,_ _he had infiltrated several companies to influence their leaders and make them hostile to the Empire,_ _he was no warrior, an easy prey_ _. Two Jedi had fled together to_ _Corellia_ _a few weeks_ _after the Temple fell, they were in love, they revealed their presence to fight the Empire when it came to this world and started to destroy the remnants of the Green Jedi Enclave there, they died together,_ _united to defend a common cause, even if the Order would have scorned them for disobedience_ _._ Her voice had become hoarse, the recent experience they had shared had left invisible marks on both of them. _For the two last Jedi, I didn’t kill them, a squad of stormtroopers_ _and Purge troopers_ _s_ _laughtered_ _them. It was a Knight and a young Padawan whose master had been killed on Toprawa…_ _The_ _y had escaped in the forest, the_ _Knight protected the Padawan, he gave his life for him, when the Padawan ran away, he was shot in the back._ _It was my first assignment_ _a few days after I joined them_ _, I was not ready, I let my feelings control me, I let go and killed the squad after the Jedi died._ _Overtime, I have learned to get rid of my moods and doubts._ _I had lost myself, I had sworn to make Cere pay for her choices, I’ve carried so much hate for her, not only regarding my own fate, but more importantly about the death of the Younglings, I will never forget that, the way they died, how it happened…_ _The Empire, in spite of all the horrors they forced_ _me_ _to go through, allowed me to avenge them, even if it cost my own s_ _oul_ _._ Tears were visible in her eyes, yet she didn’t seem to be willing to let them drop. She was hurt and tense, Cal felt it, despite their own trauma, she now trusted him to let him know her past, uncover a part of her secrets. He needed to rest, he had overestimated his resilience.

None of them had noticed that several hours had passed since they began the mind training, they had lost notion of time in this sort of meditative contemplation.

They remained quiet a few minutes more, as Cal started to leave the hold, troubled, Trilla whispered. _There may be another way._

He turned back and looked at her, wordless, tired. _We all have different natural predispositions to master new skills. In your case, it might work. Gibberish, lessons, games, if you manage to focus your mind on such things and still be aware of what’s going on around you, then you will_ _still_ _give_ _your enemy_ _access to your thoughts, yet he won’t be able to use that against you._

Cal frowned, it didn’t seem to be logical. _What do you mean ?_

_-Probe my mind, you will understand._

He closed his eyes and tended his mind to her, the wall collapsed, he heard her thoughts though the meaning was illogical. She recited lightsaber schematics, rules of Sabacc or Pazaak, described planets and systems. Suddenly, she rushed towards him, a purple blade stopped close to his neck, he didn’t see it coming at all. He stepped back and lost his balance. BD-1 produced an acute piercing sound as he jumped on Trilla and shocked her, she dropped her weapon and screamed, surprised by the droid’s attack, after all who could foresee what a droid would do ?

- _Dumb droid, it was not real !_

 _-Calm down BD, it’s fine, I see the point here._ BD made an inquiring beep while climbing on Cal’s shoulder. He got up and slightly grinned, _I knew it_ _by the way_ _, for your saber,_ _I felt it last night_ _._ He said that while she was shaking her head, desillusioned. She removed her jacket. _At least, did you understand the idea ?_

 _-I do, think loudly by thinking nonsense, even if your opponent_ _manage to access_ _your thoughts, you can surprise him and undo his mind probing._

 _-Then let’s see what you can do under pressure._ This time, when she launched her assault, he was ready, both lightsabers ignited at the same time. Physical exhaustion would offset their mind confusion.

They had been training for two hours, focusing on the moment instead of dwelling on what had happened, when tiredness finally undermined their focus. They had reduced the intensity of the blades so that a direct contact would only leave a faint blister or tiny burnt marks on their bodies. Trilla managed to hit him a dozen times, though Cal also delivered nice blows. She finally disarmed him with a torsion of the wrist yet she ended up on the floor as Cal Force pushed her. He Force pulled his lightsaber to his palm, gauged her and added. _Let’s say we’re even,_ _what do you say_ _?_ She got up, a smirk on her face, _No way, you would have lost again had it been for real._ He rolled his eyes while deactivating the weapon, notwithstanding, she added _You’re learning_ _pretty quickly_ _, you still have to perfect the way you use this technics but...not bad. We’ll see next time how you handle it._ With that, she grabbed her jacket, deactivated her blade and left him there, in the middle of the hold. Her voice in his head still present, _I’m looking forward to it._

A good shower and a nap would help him to rest and construe their interaction.

Trilla reached her small room, checked the time, they would reach their destination in six hours. It granted her some time to shower, rest, sleep and think. On Bracca, when she first met him, blinded by her anger and the Dark Side, she had despised him, he reminded her of what she could have been, he had taken her place as Cere’s apprentice. Overtime she had learned to see beyond the veil, she had felt his purity of will on Zeffo, his determination and commitment, as well as his hidden doubts and trauma, she both respected and loathed him for that. She had had access to the Imperial archives, she had studied his life. At this time she didn’t know the exact circumstances of Jaro Tapal’s death, the memory they had just shared still vivid in her mind. Cal Kestis was supposed to be dead when the Venator exploded. She had become obsessed with him after the altercation on Zeffo, she had travelled to Kashyyyk, slaying rebels and fighters to learn about his location before the Ninth Sister replaced her there. Her mission on Ontotho gave her the last clue to reach the vault on Bogano and trapped him. Then everything changed, her overconfidence let her be surprised by his move yet she didn’t take advantage of his weakness when he touched her lightsaber, she had hesitated. She wanted to make him suffer and at the same time to make him understand he was wrong, blinded by his faith. This Holocron was supposed to both lure him and Cere on Nur to eventually let her bring justice, show Cal that this galaxy had no room left for purity, and grant her a way out to leave this quagmire that was the Empire.

Cere had reached her, apologizing for her mistakes, accepting her fate, somehow sacrificing herself while urging her to move on and rely on someone’s help, Cal’s help. Her death was surely the most brutal kill she would do in her life. Cal’s light would be her beacon to revive hers, to get over her own trauma, anger and pain, she had tortured him, he had shown strong emotions and also compassion. They had escaped together, she had convinced him not to leave her for now, not to seek his friends and expose himself. The connection she felt with him was beyond her former bond with Cere, it was deeper, more intense, beyond common feelings, even stronger after their last training, but also, it felt pure. She knew he felt the same, he would not reject her, even if he didn’t know exactly how to handle it. Jedi were not supposed to let emotions guide them, they were of course allowed to feel emotions, it was natural for a living being. Jedi might be allowed to have relations under the Jedi Council’s tutelage, to balance the excess of energy that emotions represented for a Jedi and protect them from self-deception. She was no longer a Jedi, the Inquisitors had taught her to accept her passions so that they would grant her a temporary exceptional power, in the end she had only felt coldness and loneliness among them, this idea that emotion would ensure victory was wrong, the real power was to control oneself, see things for what they are. Cal was the only one who had made her genuinely smile and feel some sort of warmth inwardly over the last five years. What she now felt for him, was beyond her own understanding. For the moment, she needed to rest. The last weeks had been intense, the last days overwhelming.

As Cal fell asleep, he dreamed about what happened between them, the scene was misty, he felt again the overlap of their presence and mind, he saw them travel from one world to the next, before they settled on a pastoral world. It became clearer, time passed, he was himself near ruins of a Jedi Enclave, remnants of the past, a small girl was next to him, sitting in the grass, rocks nearby. He watched her, she looked back at him smiling, he saw his own eyes and nose on her face as well as his skin pigmentation and freckles. Her sleek dark hair and chin though, reminded him of someone else. She carried a hilt in her small hands, she was levitating stones and earth in the air between them. She let it fall on the grass and asked him _when will we go to the cavern ? You told me_ _I would be ready soon to get my Crystal._ Cal wanted to ask her who she was, he couldn’t speak, he simply took her hand and they walked away. They reached a crossroad, leading to two different caves. The little girl took the left path, calling him, _Daddy, come._ He felt his heart compressed, thrill on his spine. The path on the right called him too, he felt conflicted, but the call was stronger. The little girl seemed disappointed, she pouted and sniffed then vanished before him. He moved forward, he felt coldness, icy wind, weird voices, unknown language, it was dim, the air was rancid. He felt death, it was a tomb. Many died there, the darkness surrounded him. The path was tortuous, his senses yelled at him to retreat, it was a trap. But he kept going. He reached a circular room, fog floating above the floor, he didn’t see his feet. He grabbed his lightsaber and activated it. The light was scarce, still he suddenly saw an urn at the end of the room. Blue electrical lines around it, a dark figure was next to it. He didn’t realize what it was, still he knew this darkness would consume him. Yet, next to the shadow, he saw her, he couldn’t miss her, skinny and worried. _We’ve been waiting for you Cal. I thought you would not let me down,_ _but you left me alone, again, on Dathomir_ _._ _I_ _t_ _hought I could trust you._

His eyes widen, he could speak now. _Merrin…_ A red lightsaber came to life, it cast a red light on her face, her eyes were different, dull. He had the feeling to fall into an endless precipice.

He opened his eyes, yelling her name, sweaty, breathless. But she was here, Trilla was in front of him, worried and holding his shoulders. BD-1 beeped anxiously, scanning him again and again, telling him to drink and eat, to calm down, that his blood pressure was too high. Cal didn’t realize he was squeezing one of Trilla’s forearm, she didn’t seem to care, but he felt she cared for him.

She looked at him and softly said, _Cal, what did you see ?_

He looked at her, she wore only a shirt and a pair of shorts, what time was it ? His cracked voice only managed to utter _Merrin...She’s in danger. Dathomir, a tomb, I saw a tomb, she’s been there again on Dathomir, we have to save her._

Trilla was puzzled, _It was a vision wasn’t it ? Visions don’t always reveal you the future, it may only show you a part of the endless possibilities._

Cal felt anger and fear, she didn’t understand. _I know what I saw, I need to save her, she is in danger because of me. I won’t let her down._

Trilla was concerned, his fiery resoluteness visible in his eyes, she looked at him closely and added. _Okay, we’ll help her. I will stick with you. After all,_ _you’ll need someone to back you up._ _Where shall we go ?_


	7. One last choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Following part of the story, as usual, I hope you'll like it, thanks for your support, it means a lot !
> 
> Here is some music to go with your reading.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUs4foG53fg  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLT3et8Mkdg

**Chapter 6/** **One last** **choice**

Cal rested on his bed, BD-1 near him, on a shelf, it was quiet aboard. They had landed on Cato Neimoidia to refuel the ship and get some real food. Trilla had left him alone, disguised with a smuggler outfit and a veil on her head. She surely would use the Force to facilitate their requirements and removed the memory of the encounter with the merchants at the spaceport, just in case. He needed to think and design a plan. Hopefully, he had stopped shaking, the side effects of the vision had faded away. He wondered if he would find Merrin in time, the outlook of what he saw confirmed that Greez and Merrin fled after Cere and him had failed their mission to recover the Holocron retained in the Citadel of the Inquisitorius. He didn’t sense Greez’s presence in his dream, only Merrin, scared, weakened, alone, drowning in the darkness of this tomb. He wondered where the Latero may be. He didn’t convince Merrin to leave Dathomir to end up in a situation worse than the first one. He would fix that, no matter where she may be now. He considered their choices after the debacle on Nur, surely they must have waited a while before leaving, both of them were headstrong and loyal. He would have known if the Empire had captured them. Greez used to boast that he would leave their little adventure behind and get back to Lateron one day, in the Mid Rim. It didn’t make any sense for Merrin, what would she have done there ? She needed guidance to discover the galaxy, it would be suicide to let her dive into the unknown. Besides, if Greez was no warrior on the one hand, he was not a coward on the other hand, he would have tried to find a way to rescue them too. He remembered his conversations with Merrin, on the Mantis, on the different planets they had travelled to. Her curiosity and ignorance of the galaxy could be explained by her isolation on Dathomir. During all of their talkings, she always mentioned a memory of her past on Dathomir, her training, the life there, her friends and relatives, the way the Nightsisters used the Force, magick as she said, and her Mother. She had recalled her Mother a lot, speaking of her influence, power. On the Mantis, he had heard her pronounce this Mantra _Mother, Sisters, lend me your strength._ He could tell it was demanding, her energy had faded after hours of waiting, Greez should have led them away, in safety. What may they have talked about ? _Think Cal, what would she have done..._ They must have argued to decide the next course of action. Retreat was the only relevant option, flee to live and fight another day. _Dathomir._ The vision had showed Merrin, in a tomb, she had said Dathomir. The room oozed power and darkness. A tomb. May she be in a tomb on Dathomir ? In the Zeffo tomb ? No, it was not logical. May she have been to a tomb of Nightsisters ? Well, he remembered well enough what the graves of Nightsisters looked like, when she had awakened her fallen sisters to make Malicos and him retreat.

She was not strong enough to use her powers alone against the Empire and the Inquisitors. She must have sought a new source of power to help Cere and him. _Power. Mother. Dathomir._ It was worth a try, she had mentioned they way her coven had been wiped out, her mother as well. Her grave may have been on Dathomir. _When you face one Nightsister of Dathomir, you face us all._ This power was beyond her control, but he could imagine her attempted one more desparate act to help them. It was her kind. It was the only lead he had for the moment, if he wanted to save her, he had to return there. It was settled then.

- _Ready to go back to Dathomir Bud ?_ BD titled his head in front of his friend, telling him he didn’t like this place but he would not hesitate if there was a chance to help a friend. Cal chuckled, the enthusiasm and optimism of BD was exactly what he needed. They would go there together. _With Trilla too._ He had been pleased to see her accept to join him, _probably a consequence of the...training._ This attraction he had felt, that they had both felt, it still made him a bit anxious, some kind of fire had started to ignite within him, it had kept developing over the last days, becoming stronger. A few days ago, he felt both anger for her actions and some compassion for her, it remained his temperament to see a spark of hope in the Dark. Thus, they had talked, learned more about each other, shared some unexpected moments. She had touched him, not to hurt him but to support, to _comfort_ him after the visions. He didn’t expect this contact to be soft, they had both changed. Cal was not a leader, he had not been trained to lead soldiers on the battlefied against hostile droid armies. He felt some kind of pride, noticing that he had some positive influence on Trilla, someone with such a strong personality. Even as a Jedi, he suspected that she was not the easiest Padawan to train, _Cere must have seen quite a lot of actions with her._ He realized that he really needed her for the next steps, she gave him confidence, he felt stronger with her at his sides. He had a bad feeling about the trial ahead of him, but with her, it may work.

Yet, he also remembered the first part of the vision, it was Dantooine, Master Tapal had once brought him there as part of his Jedi History lessons, near the ruins of a Jedi Enclave which was built before the Mandalorian Wars, it had been destroyed during the Jedi Civil War. The ruins had been kept as a reminder of the past, part of the planet patrimony. He did like this world, it was peaceful, rural, the climate was temperate. Master Tapal told him he had himself found his lightsaber crystal in a Kinrath cave, not that far from the ruins of the Enclave instead of going to Ilum. In his vision, Trilla and him had been on this world, they had settled on Dantooine, together. He had seen a girl, he was older, she was...may be his, _their_ daughter. Trilla and him, together, really ? A voice in his head told him it could still happen, it depended on him. She told him that _Visions don’t always reveal you the future, it may only show you a part of the endless possibilities._ No, Merrin needed his help. Furthermore, once they had found a way to save her, nothing would prevent them from...from what ? From giving up the fight and starting a new life far from the war and the Empire ? He shooked his head, this new dimension, he wasn’t prepared for it. She would be back soon, time to focus on the present. He got up, showered, put on his boots and equipments and headed to the hold to practice his lightsaber skills, this way his mind would not trick him.

Trilla left him less than an hour ago, she missed his presence, she had become accustomed to it. They had been together the last days, she had forgotten how good it was to have someone to trust, who may care for her. What he had seen augured nothing good, tomb, shadow, darkness. It smelled Sith. She didn’t want to let him face the threat alone. She knew he would have done the same thing had she been in that situation. She had not cared for anyone, not even herself to be honest for five years, the way Cere had chosen self-interest that day, even if it was under torture, she had been led to believe it was no longer worth to care about anything, except for survival to achieve vengeance and obtain justice. But now, her future lies with him. She may even consider some plans for them after his Nightsister friend will be safe.

Cato Neimoidia spaceport was busy, she could see the clouds above her as well as the endless traffic. The crowd was significant, she could blend in easily, the ambient smoke and noise, her smuggler outfit and the veil on her head kept her unnoticed. She had easily persuaded the technicians near the ship to refuel it, she was now in the alley outside of the spaceport where street vendors sold all kind of goods and food, the colors and smells miscellaneous. There was an infinity of species around her, Humans, Zabraks, Neimoidians, Twi’Leks, Devaronians, Muuns, Weequay, Mirialans, Nautolans, Kel’Dors, even Quermians and many others. She was currently deceiving the vendor to get a box of rations, not too much but enough to give them a week of supplies. Same for the batteries for the droid and their lightsabers. As she was about to leave, someone shoved her. She gritted her teeth and couldn’t help but say _Watch where you’re going._ She realized her blunder. _What did you say citizen ?_ A squad of six Stormtroopers was before her. Her lightsaber was hidden behind her jacket, she could not afford to use it, the escape would be tough. There was an important Imperial garrison, this world used to be a Separatist stronghold which fell only at the end of the Clone Wars. Master Plo Koon was killed aboard his Jedi starfighter in the sky during Order 66. _My apol_ _ogy for the inconvenience. I didn’t_ _mean_ _to bother your patrol._

 _-Show me your ID, now._ Two troopers took aim at her. She bit her lips. The vendor was watching, either she would start a riot if she killed them all, either the vendor would give her away. She had to act quickly as the onlookers around would also start to gather around them soon. She cautiously waved her hand and said _You don’t need to see my identification._ The troopers relaxed, their leader replied _We don’t need to see your identification. I can go about my business. You can go about your business. Move along. Move along._ As they resumed their inspection of the market, she turned to face the Neimoidian vendor who looked at her, wide-eyed. _So Jedi are still alive then, didn’t expect to see o_ _ne_ _here._ Trilla was about to quickly use the Force on him but he spoke too fast. _Please, let me offer you an extra bag of food, I even have Corellian ale for you._ _M_ _y people_ _may have fought against t_ _he Republic_ _during the war, but if we had known what would happen with the Empire, there surely would have been no_ _C_ _lone_ _W_ _ars, they’ve taken everything from us. Leave now, save yourself._

Ironically, she had deceived him earlier for one bag, now she had two. She didn’t waste more time and turned around to get to the ship, relieved, yet she considered his words, surely one would think twice before acting if he knew the consequences...

As she climbed the ramp, she felt his energy, he was training on his own. She secured the ship and went to the hold. His face was red due to the effort. Even if some of his moves were clumsy, she could not tell he didn’t try to do his best with his lightsaber. Pity it would not be enough against mighty opponents. She had to protect him. As usual, the droid was in the vicinity, always watching him like a parasite, though she knew he saw this droid as a friend. Befriend droids, some Jedi did that. She had once heard Master Kenobi complain about Anakin Skywalker’s droid in the Temple, leaving oil marks on the floor during a briefing session at the beginning of the Clone Wars. She was only a teenager at this time, about Cal’s age during Order 66. Skywalker died during that night, the Chosen One died to protect them, she knew Kenobi was alive due to the Imperial database, it made her sick to see such a Jedi she had really respected flee like that. Jedi like Master Yoda, Quinlan Vos, K’Kruhk, the Dark Woman, powerful masters who have simply given up ? This kind of frustration had fueled her during her times among the Inquisitors, Jedi who were the guardians of the Order, the most respectable members, they just decided to disappear, to hide. They should have defended the remnants of the Order, protect and gather the survivors. But like the Younglings, she and the others were left alone, facing death.

As Cal sparred against an invisible foe, he felt her presence and conflict.

_-You okay Trilla ?_

He had deactivated his blade and looked at her. _Something is troubling you,_ _right_ _?_

This kind of nice concern would have irritated her weeks ago, now it calmed her. He truly honored the Order, she wasn’t sure this same fallen Order deserved this kind of commitment now.

- _Nothing special, that’s fine. I’ve the supplies we need, more than we need in fact. The ship is also ready to leave wherever you want us to go._

He could feel she didn’t want to dwell on her thoughts, he respected that, he had said he would not put pressure on her.

_-I have thought about my vision, what I have seen. I have come to the conclusion that we should start our investigation on Dathomir. Greez and Merrin may have fled there after the...mission on Nur._

She didn’t want to rub salt in the wound, she simply said _All right, I’ll set a course for Dathomir, with Lightspeed we should be there within two days._ She was about to leave when he added _Trilla, just wanted to say thanks, for helping me._

She slightly smiled and softly replied, _That’s nothing. We’ll have to practice before our arrival, if you feel ready for a fight or meditation…_

The implicit meaning of meditation, it was somehow both scary and exciting. Cal grinned while replying, _I’d like to. Fighting I mean. Maybe a meditation session would be different if we are both physically tired._ She frowned, not sure that he even knew himself what he meant. She simply added, _That’s fine, I’ll meet you once we are in hyperspace._ She turned towards the droid whose blue lights were once more on her, she taunted him. _Stop scanning me, I am not some kind of unknown specimen._ BD beeped calmly, Cal winced, translated her what his buddy had just said. _He says your heart is beating abnormally quickly._

BD scanned him too, she didn’t need Cal to translate this time to guess what it had retorted. Cal flushed but replied curtly, _It is due to training._ She almost laughed by the way the droid’s beep sounded sarcastic.

Merrin woke up though she didn’t see anything around her, her surroundings utterly black. She was alone, on a cold stone floor, an icy wind reinforced the sensation, a cloud came out of her mouth, dry blood on her temple, dirt on her clothes, face, hands and hair. She slowly got up, a growing fear settled in her guts. She felt a darkness deeper than the one her eyes depicted before her, it threatened to swallow her. She heard an unnatural breathing sound and saw two yellow robotic eyes approaching. She had never seen a protocol droid before, she simply noticed his multiple appendages whose first goal used to serve medical purposes, though she was not aware of this last detail. She remained quiet, she didn’t know what had happened since her Mother’s spirit attempted to punish her for her sins.

_-Lord Vader, she is awake._

She heard footsteps behind the droid, she could see red and green lights in the middle of a shadow. Then a familiar sound came on top of the breathing, a red blade illuminated her surroundings.

It reminded her an unpleasant memory of _an armored warrior, brandishing lightsabers._

She gathered her courage and asked. _Who are you ?_

This accent, this insolence, _savage people these Nightsisters_ Vader thought, yet he could also sense her fear and weakness, she should not be too hard to convince.

- _I am your savior little witch. And the one who will bring back your people, provided that you do as I say._

She felt a heavy burden fall on her shoulders, this dark figure augured nothing but death, lies and manipulation. She had been through enough pain and abuse caused by outsiders. Her mother was right, Nightsisters were not meant to blend in the unknown, they were one, in their coven. The only one outsider who had seemed to be different was probably dead by now. Cal would not save her and she could not rescue him.

Vader felt her inner worries and confusion, _all too easy._

_-Your doubts are unnecessary, your Jedi friend is still alive, he will join us soon. He knows why we are here._

Merrin was flabbergasted, she did not manage to read anything from this figure, he was barely alive, but his words wielded so much power, that she could not miss. Cal alive, coming for her whereas she wanted to save him ? _What have I done ?_

 _-You’ve done what you thought was right, I offer you the power you were seeking_ _on your Homeworld_ _,_ _the one_ _your mother denied you. If we combine our strength, with my power, yours and your friend’s abilities, we will possess something beyond everything you’ve ever imagined. We can bring back your people, we can save the dead. An eternal life, thanks to the Force._ _We have common interests._

She shuddered, she didn’t need a confirmation to guess Malicos was a mere whelp, a roach compared to him. He irradiated power and influence. He could crush her easily, Malicos knew she had powers, significant enough to oppose him, so he had try to deceive her. But him, she was no match for him, clearly not, so why would he deceive her? She didn’t know much about the philosophy of the Jedi, of the Force. But she could tell that there was truth in his words. Besides, Cal was coming, somehow she knew it to be true, he was naive, not the wisest but still he was also brave and loyal. His presence may help her to sort it out. Cal wanted to restore the Jedi Order, to save children across the galaxy. What if she helped him by bringing back his fallen brothers and sisters as well as her own sisters ? Whoever the dark figure ahead of her wanted to bring back, it was worth it.

Her mother would have sentenced her to a grim fate without the help of this man. If she managed to revive her sisters, her mother, would she be forgiven ? Would her sins be forgotten ?

_-I…_

_-You do not have to fear me, I am not here to subdue you, what I need is your word to work with me. To join me for a noble goal._

There was truth again, she felt it, he was not lying, or not completely, she didn’t grasp the extent of the genuineness of his promise, yet with Cal, they probably would be able to stand together should it end wrongly. She didn’t know about Cere, yet Cal was the one she had decided to willingly follow. Besides, if she refused…

- _If you refuse Nightsister, you will die, knowing that you have let go the chance to save your family, your coven. What would your sisters in the other realm think of you then ?_

No, she couldn’t, she couldn’t let this chance disappear without trying. She had to. For all of them, her sisters and Mother, for Cal and his fallen Jedi Order. Magick used to link life and death, it was a circle, she could reverse the tide so the dead would be alive again. If this man gave her the power to do it, to channel it, she could use her magick to disappear with Cal after that in case her _savior_ changed his mind.

She didn’t really have a choice in fact.She stood straight and replied.

- _I will join you, I will help you to overcome death and save those we cared about._

 _-Excellent. Follow me then._ As he started to leave, flames appeared in the room, torches on the wall, and beyond the chamber. They were in an old tomb. The air around her indicated it was not Dathomir, this planet was darker than hers, whatever the one it may be. She could feel deadly creatures and predators not far from their location, she would reamin focus.

_Cal, I’m glad you are alive. Be careful, I will wait for you._

The lightsaber sparring was rather intense, both focused on the moment, both wielded their double lightsaber, Cal used his new skills to prevent Trill from reading his mind. Yet, think about gobbledygook is not as easy as it seems, one has also to be focus on what is going on around. As a moment of inattention would result in a lightsaber impact on the body. After another two-hour session, they stopped and rested, drinking water and eating a ration. They were sitting on the floor of the hold, BD between them, advising to take some time to digest before another fight.

Trilla looked at his face, his skin still pink after the effort, she looked at his scars. She had seen how he got the one on his neck during Order 66, yet the others… They were thin, she wanted to touch them though she didn’t dare. _How did you get them, your scars ?_

Without the meditation, the concentration or the connection, reading thoughts was not his speciality, giving her some flexibility to think about him.

He had managed to think less about Merrin and more about the present training and break, yet this question caught him off guard.

 _-Well, except the blaster shot, the others come from mundane incidents when I used to dismantle ships, except the one on my lips._ _It_ _was a Trandoshan who wanted to steal my teeth as a trophy, shortly after I landed on Bracca. I had a shelter in the dump near the office of the guild,_ _not far from the place where the escape pod crashed_ _. I had l_ _ighted_ _a pyre for Master Tapal,_ _my braid and Jedi robe._ _T_ _he fire caught his attention. He was some kind of hunter, worshipping his Scorekeeper. He saw me as an easy prey to round his prestige. He wanted to take his time, so his claw didn’t have much time to pierce deeply the flesh. That’s when he saved me, Prauf._

Trilla felt her stomach contract. _Another mistake…_ Though Cal didn’t seem to notice.

 _He knocked the Trandoshan out with a rusty b_ _laster, didn’t expect an Abednedo to be that strong,_ _Trandoshans are tough_ _._ _I followed him, he didn’t ask too much questions,_ _h_ _e offered me a berth on a crashed ship that used to be his home._ He smiled at the memory instead of thinking about how she had killed him, and thus started their journey. She had not seen this event during their meditation, surely she had seen most of the events of his life, not all of them though.

_-He told me to move on, live my life and find my place in the galaxy, I guess that’s what we’ve done eventually._

_We. Again…_ She changed the subject.

_-What do you plan to do after your Nightsister friend is safe ?_

She saw hesitation on his face.

- _Well, there may be several possibilities, though some have a low probability to a_ _ctually_ _happen_ _._

BD stepped in to express that statistically speaking, there was always a chance for unlikely events to take place.

Trilla rolled her eyes after Cal translated, then added _Never tell me the odds little droid._ She faced Cal.

 _-As for you, i_ _n other words ?_ Cal frowned.

 _-What do you want you, Trilla ?_ She raised an eyebrow.

_-I asked the question first._

Cal lowered his eyes, he wasn’t sure he wanted to share the vision he had experienced, as it had led to that scene with Merrin trapped in the tomb. Obviously, she read his thoughts.

- _If you want to share this vision with me, it will work, as long as we are both focus and connect our minds._ She simply extended her hand, her face serious. He pondered the idea, then held his hand too and took hers. They let go and let the Force do the rest.

They were on Dantooine, except that Trilla was near Cal and the little girl. She could not interact with them yet she definitely noticed how the girl looked like a blending of Cal and her.

At the crossroad, when she heard the word, she felt both joy and sorrow in her chest, she felt the call of the right path too, the scenery moved to the tomb. She felt the coldness, the pain, the evil. She saw the Nightsister, the power from the Urn, but most importantly, the shadow nearby, Vader.

They came back to the ship, to reality. Cal’s eyes were closed. He was uneasy. She went straight to the point.

- _It’s a trap, Vader is luring you there, whatever his plans are, we will die if we go there. You friend won’t make it out of this tomb alive,_ _if she really is even Vader’s prisoner_ _or if he has not killed her already_ _._

The words hurt him, even if he acknowledged it was not a fib. The risk was real, he didn’t recognize Vader’s presence the first time, yet to see it once more, with Trilla, it had become clearer. Still, he would have felt it had Merrin been killed.

_-Maybe. But together, there may be a chance. There is always a chance. He won’t expect you to be with me._

_-Vader is far more powerful than both of us combined, even with your Nightsister._

_-Merrin._

_-What ?_

_-Her name is Merrin. She deserves our help._

Trilla closed her eyes, breathed out to center herself then added. _Then let’s hope that you’ll see and find relevant clues on Dathomir._ She got up, grabbed her jacket and left him. She was huffy. As she was about to enter her cabin, she heard his footsteps behind her.

- _Trilla. About the girl, I…_

 _-We both know clearly what it means, no point in denying that._ _What is at stake is not your life or mine, it is our future and hers._

_-Merrin’s ?_

_-Our daughter’s._

Cal was not a coward, but the fear he felt within him at this moment, was something he had never experienced, it was a new sensation. There had been a lot of new things in his life since he revealed his presence on Bracca…

\- _Think about wh_ _ich_ _future is really self-interest_ _ed_ _and which one is altruism, which one may serve the greater good or satisfy your conscience._ She closed her door and let him there. It was quiet, save for the hyperdrive. Her words noisy in his head. A truth one clung to, depended greatly on one’s own point of view after all...

They didn’t train the next day, not together at least, though they could both feel the internal conflict of the other. Surely, Trilla would have chosen the life with their girl had she been in position to decide for both of them. But Cal was too loyal and not yet prepared for this life, he would not let his friend die without at least trying to rescue her.

They prepared for the arrival on Dathomir, they didn’t want to speak about their debate, it would not change anything. When the navicomputer informed them they would leave hyperspace shorlty, they both met in the cockpit and sat on the seats.

She could feel his concentration, his fear and hope. She didn’t want him to feel her own fear to lose him against someone they could not defeat.

As they penetrated the atmosphere of Dathomir, Cal felt a faint presence on the planet, they had been there. He gave Trilla the location of their former landing pad for the Mantis. He quickly saw the ship, though his joy was cut short when he noticed spiders around it. He didn’t feel anyone on board.

The two of them plus BD-1 on Cal’s back were waiting for the ramp to let them tread the gound of Dathomir.

Trilla put her hand on his shoulder. _Are you ready ?_

Cal was tense, he simply replied, _It’s too late to turn back now._

They both left the freighter, lightsabers alight, purple and yellow blades. They quickly slained and dispersed the spiders, the atmosphere was putrid. When Cal approached the Mantis, he knew the ramp would not open itself from the outside, it could be done only by someone on board. Yet, no one was on board… He jumped on the hull, his heart tightened when he saw the clean opening, caused by a lightsaber. Trilla joined him. She frowned and replied bitterly, _It’s too late._

If he didn’t see it, he would not believe it, he had to face it. He didn’t reply and entered the ship. The familiar living area of it, the kitchen, the cockpit in sight, the holomap, the terrarium, all of it would have made him happy, if there was not a dead body near the table with leftover food on it, a dead body he knew too well. Whose decay had begun, mutilated with two arms next to it.

A wave of pain and grief overwhelmed him, hopefully he managed to keep his composure and didn’t cry. He clenched his fists and tried to preserve his balance. BD’s sound was heartbreaking, his buddy shared his feelings.

- _Greez_ … _I’m sorry. I’m sorry I didn’t make it in time, it shouldn’t have ended like this._

Yet, he could not miss the broken Holocron on the corpse, it made him angry, nauseated. _All of this for that ?_ _They’ve_ _just_ _destroyed it…_ He didn’t understand.

He heard Trilla entered the ship too, she took into account the place, though remained quiet. What she could observe didn’t need any comment. The scraps of the Holocron gave her a sour taste in her mouth, she was right to have left these bastards, an Empire of lies and deception, brutal and selfish maniacs. A part of her hoped it would be enough to convince Cal to make the right choice.

Cal had to know, he needed to. Trilla grabbed his arm.

_-Cal, you already know what you will see, what’s the point ? Don’t inflict you more pain._

He didn’t reject her, but she felt his determination. She let go. He knelt, the echo would be strong, probably one of the worst he had experienced. He had to. He touched the scraps and body.

It was awful. Raw emotions, hatred, pain, torture, death, fire, he saw Greez in the ship, Merrin left him with the Bogling, surely the poor creature was dead now... Then Vader entered and forced him to reveal Merrin’s goals and whereabouts, he saw his murder, the dead body moving only by the nerves, he saw Vader on a shuttle, with a droid, he saw him with the Holocron, he was tortured, vulnerable, he wanted to bring someone back from death, to betray the Emperor, to kill him and make him pay for something he did to him. He saw a mutilated burnt body on a volcanic world. It came back to Vader looming over the dead body, spreading the scraps of the Jedi device. He called him to go to Korriban to save her. _Korriban. Merrin._ _She’s there, trapped._

Trilla felt a tiny part of what he was seeing, but something caught her attention. _Korriban,_ _Ancient birth place of the Sith._

He opened his eyes, Trilla was supporting him, BD had left his shoulder to scan Greez, he estimated that he died less than four days ago, that the death had been almost immediate.

Cal was shaking, catching his breath. He turned his head to face her, hazy.

She was firm, unreadable. She looked at him closely and said, _Choose_ _very_ _carefully what you are going to say and do next Cal._


	8. Confronting fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next part of the story, thanks for your readings, I didn't think I would receive that kind of support for my first fan fiction, it means a lot !  
> Feel free to let me know your feelings, good or bad, I will take all of them into account.
> 
> Here is a music you can listen to while reading the chapter.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNlSUpmGOac

**Chapter 7/** **Confronting fear**

Cal’s intuition warned him that the dangers he would face if he decided to travel to Korriban would not allow contingencies. What Vader was up to remained cloudy. This Sith world would corrupt and twist their noble motivations, their light would be challenged. Jedi and Sith fought there throughout History, prior to the battle of Ruusan. It was a place of death, ancient evil and bane. No place for a Jedi. _As long as you’re alive, you will always have a choice._ Cere’s words sounded now hollow in his mind, if he let Merrin in Vader’s hands, she would be forced to help him, to realize his sinister goals, whatever they may be. Then he would dispose of her the way he had disposed of Greez. Could he accept that and run away to save his own life ? To preserve their future so that he would fulfil his vision ? Trilla seemed willing to take that chance. He understood why she thought that way, she knew better than him what Vader was capable of, she had known him for five years, she feared him. She anticipated their death if they decided to launch a rescue mission for Merrin.

Nonetheless, something in the back of his mind told him it was bigger than just the four of them, he believed in the will of the Force, he remembered the call he had heard in his vision, it was not only Vader’s call or Merrin’s, it was a different one, Korriban was a key to prevent something terrible from happening.

He didn’t give her an answer on the Mantis, instead, he asked Trilla to leave him alone so that he could light a pyre for Greez, he needed to think. She wasn’t resentful, she could feel how he liked her but she had not known Greez, she had killed Cere, Greez’s friend and somehow partner. It was the least she could do for him. She boarded the ship and headed to her quarters. She tried to center herself, to double check she was really ready to accept Cal’s choice and its consequences. The Force granted her access to the same vision on Dantooine, with Cal and their daughter, except that this time, they entered the left cave together. The Kinrath somehow avoided them. They entered an area where many crystal formations rose from the ground and the walls, the humidity balanced by the warmth of the crystals. She saw the girl collect one crystal, she felt her pride and happiness. She felt herself proud and happy. The vision changed, she was now in a bedroom, watching through a window. Cal was training with her daughter outside, she was almost a teenager, she used a green lightsaber, just like hers, she noticed that the little droid was on her back, both of them taunted Cal. She felt a hit in her stomach, she looked down and observed its unusual size, she was pregnant. It was overwhelming, she felt his thoughts, _his,_ she could feel the connection with her boy who did not even exist. Her gaze turned towards her hand, she saw blood on it. The vision changed abruptly, she was crushed on the ground, the hit she had felt in her stomach was now much more painful, it was a lightsaber wound. She looked up, it was gloomy, sinister, above her a dark shadow with blue outline threatened her, ahead, she saw the Nightsister, her left forearm was missing, she was on fire and wielded her purple double bladed lightsaber. Cal wore the inquisitor garb, he stood next to her, a large lightsaber scorch visible across his face, Vader before them, unarmed, there was a fog in the tomb, the darkness overwhelmed her, ringing in her ears. She heard a distant wicked and vicious laugh before the vision collapsed. She was back in her quarters, the pain still palpable in her stomach, her body sweaty. But she was safe, for now. She felt tears in her eyes, she would not let go. They taught her to use her emotions to be strong, at this moment, her emotions would only break her down, she needed to be focus, stable.

She was ready to go through hell once more for Cal, even if her self-preservation warned her to run away, she knew the consequences, there would be no hope left once on Korriban. She didn’t want to die, but she could not let him go, not alone. She relied on him, he would need her, no matter the outcome. Their future depended on his choice, yet he had offered her something she would not have thought possible after Cere’s death, he had given her a reason to live, consideration, respect and even some sort of affection. Everything the Empire had deprived her of. She didn’t think herself worthy of his kindness, he thought the opposite, even after all she had done. He would not force her to follow him, yet she knew he would not follow her either if she decided to go her own path. She didn’t imagine a path without him. She wasn’t sure the Nightsister was aware how lucky she was to have met him.

Cal was glad to feel BD on his shoulders to bid Greez a last farewell. The fire took care of the body, they could not afford the time to travel to Lateron and deliver Greez’s remains to his relatives. He had felt Greez’s dread before his death, his loneliness, the pressure Vader put upon him. It made him angry, he wanted to avenge him, avenge them all, Cere, the Jedi, the people who died because of Vader and his Empire. But it was not the Jedi way, he knew one could not turn back from such a path, except if someone cared deeply and could show another possibility. At this time, he was the one who tried to show the good path to Trilla, no one else would be here to fix his mistakes if he forgot the light and his oath. _Hold the line and wait for the Jedi Council’s signal._ There was no Council left to give him guidance, as a Jedi Knight he was the one to decide, his argument with Trilla regarding their future hurt him, he knew what she felt, the chance to start over together, to find peace far away from the war and the oppression of the Empire. Yet he also knew it was utopian, the Inquisitors would hunt them down, Vader would come for them in the end. It was a better choice to have the effect of surprise on their side, instead of being the prey. Besides, she counted on him. Merrin needed him, his vision showed him how weak she was, it would be worse for her without him, her fate obvious without their intervention.

He turned towards the Mantis, Vader didn’t take time to check the computers and assets within this ship, proof of how important his current goal was.

- _BD, this mission we_ _’_ _re about to take on,_ _it’ll be risky. We may not come back. Saw let us coordinates to meet him, you could take the ship a… Ouch!_

The slight spark BD had just unleashed on his nape surprised him, though he clearly got the message. BD would not be left behind, he would stick with him till the end.

- _All right, thanks bud, didn’t expect less from you. But the ship, we can’t_ _just_ _destroy it..._

The low sound he uttered informed him that Greez would have prefered to see this ship reduced in dust instead of seeing someone else’s hands on her. _Yeah, sounds like Greez. All right then._

He considered the pyre as well as the ship a few more seconds before boarding the freighter.

He reached the hold and saw her, waiting for him. He could feel her inner struggle, her determination and doubts, he could not avoid her.

_-We need to talk._

_-We’ll probably have time in hyperspace. It’ll take a few hours to reach Korriban._

She pursed her lips. Obviously, she would not step aside.

- _I won’t wait_ _._ _Can we have some privacy, droid ?_

BD beeped and jumped to the floor to seek Cal’s approval. _I’ll see you in the cockpit BD._ BD-1 seemed disappointed judging by the sound he produced, though he left promptly.

 _-_ _You’ve made your choice for her. I respect it, I respect you for your fortitude but I can’t let you die alone. I can’t let you die for nothing._ _I’ve seen what we may have, it hurts to accept that we may sacrifice it._ _I have never begged anyone, but you... I need to see you one last time,_ _to share a moment with you_ _._

Cal didn’t like the turn the conversation was taking, as if he guessed that it may seed disarray in his senses. They didn’t need to be astray now, not by their mutual feelings they didn’t dare mention aloud, not by their fear of the threats ahead. If anyone could make him doubt, it was her, he didn’t need an argument with her, he didn’t want it.

- _Trilla, please…_

 _-No, I need you to share your strength with_ _me_ _, to share your light, your faith, so that I won’t let you down there. I need to look upon you where no one has ever seen, where we are only together. To know that our bond will be strong enough to face our fate._ _To understand why we have such an effect on each other, why you give me hope, emotions I didn’t know,_ _I didn’t expect to feel_ _._

 _-_ _Trilla, I…_

 _-Please._ She hated how her voice betrayed her, how she exposed herself, but she knew he was the only one who would not judge her now.

Their heart raced too fast, almost audible. At last, Cal slowly nodded. They sat and reached out. Their minds met, connected, without walls to prevent the bind. Cal thought he had had access to her thoughts, but now it was different, he saw everything, like he had never seen before. He saw her life, every detail of it, even some she had forgotten before this moment, her first years as a baby with her family, before the Order came for her, her years as a Jedi, the events during Order 66, he felt her emotions, her feelings, the good, the bad, he saw the death of the Younglings, the torture, her training, Vader’s humiliations, her scars on her shoulders and chest, her missions, her denial, pride, self-loathing, the influence of the Dark Side which had deceived her, convinced her that her actions were the right thing, that there was no turning back, that it was for the greater good, this influence which tried to extinguish the flame within her. Then he entered her life, her spark of light responded to his, she struggled with him, yet couldn’t reject him, he was what she was no longer, but with his help, she could amend herself, save herself and move on, with him. And now they were together, in the Force. She saw the same thing, every single detail of his own life, the events he had mentioned, those he had kept for himself, his childhood and trauma, his own evolution and progress, Cere’s guidance to heal him, Cere who knighted him, his own visions with his dead master, his feelings for her when she killed Cere, the feelings afterwards and more. He was hers, she was his. They could feel the common understanding and commitment to themselves, the mutual feelings granted by the Force. They were together, no matter what would happen, the Force had united them. They were now in an infinite dimension, it was blinding but warm, welcoming, the Force was and would always be, so they would always be together. It stopped smoothly, they were still in the hold, sitting on the floor, facing each other, but without sweat, without shiver, only peace, calm and agreement. He could see her open her eyes and smile, she simply said _Let’s make it worth it. She is w_ _aiting for_ _us._

Cal had feared she would make him doubt, eventually she had given him more confidence than he would have been able to gather on his own. In spite of the Jedi Code, he knew what he felt for her, it was required for the next steps. When he reached the cockpit, she was already on the pilot chair. He took her right hand and told her _Thank you for being here, with me._ The contact was warmhearted, she responded and held his hand before focusing on the ship.

Cal saw the Mantis through the glass.

- _So sure are you ?_ He didn’t need to ask, he knew she spoke of the Mantis, he didn’t want to destroy it, but it was better this way.

The ship took off, she used the starboard to let the turrets do the rest. In a few seconds, there was nothing left save burning metal scraps. They left the desolate landscape of Dathomir behind, trespassed the atmosphere to meet the void of space, stars all around them. Trilla set a course for Korriban, it would only be a few hours before their arrival.

Merrin’s fear had kept increasing, the dark figure and his droid had led her to a room deep below the surface, it was hard to breathe. Her clothes too thin to protect her against the cold, she felt weak, exposed, she needed someone to protect her. The dust, darkness and smell only added to her dread.

The room was circular, an urn on the other side seemed to be the key artefact for what was needed.

The breathing sound of her host made her uneasy. He seemed to fit in this environment.

- _The sacred Urn in this tomb contains ancient and forgotten power, one we can revive and use to bring back those who were taken from us. This will require great strength as well as a sacrifice._

 _-What sacrifice ? You didn’t mention it._ She felt a pressure on her mind, it was hard to focus, her sight was blurry.

- _This is where your Jedi friend will help us. To determine the extent of it._

The ambiguity of his words made her cautious though she had given her word, she had no choice.

- _What do you want me to do ?_ She didn’t manage to grasp any of his thoughts, he was unreadable, his mask and armor made him look tough, she knew it was insignificant compared to his real power. He may eventually unleash it and destroy this room, all of them and still prevail.

- _We must act quickly, our relentless enemy might already have felt what is about to be done. Feel the power in the ashes, let your mind and skills connect with t_ _hem_ _, restore the energy, the link between the blood, the cells and the remains._

- _What enemy ? Where are we ?_ She wanted to cry, last time she felt this kind of utter dread, it was when her sisters were cut down. This place gave her the creeps, it was too dark, close, oppressive. She needed space, air, security.

- _Do not ask question, witch. Do your part of the ritual._ The droid tended her a small flask, a dark red liquid inside, as well as a dusty dark robe. _Put it on_ _,_ _drink the_ _blood, grab some ash_ _._

Her heart raced too fast, she was on the verge of collapse, but she did it, Cal was coming, she had given her word, she had to remain strong just a little while longer.

As she put the robe on her, she felt a darkness penetrate her, there was power in it, far more powerful than her magick, it gave her resolution, purpose, confidence, pride, it also threatened to consume her, to take over her own will and body. Ironically, the heavy robe made her colder than she already felt. She drank the blood while taking a handle of ashes in the urn _,_ the effect was immediate. A blue fire started to ignite in her hand and around the urn. She gathered her energy to summon her magick, she recited a few incantations, something trembled in her, someone called her. A feeble voice, long dead, yet it carried a secret that had disappeared with him.

- _Is it working my Lord ?_

_-Impressive. Most impressive. There may be a possibility that the Jedi and her friend will make it even better._

Merrin didn’t hear them, she was falling into a collapsar, the call of the voice deepen, it was not her language. However, she understood it, it, no _he,_ he claimed she now belonged to him, he compelled her to lend him her strength and vitality, she wanted to obey. He told her that death was a lie, that peace was a lie, passion would grant strength, then power, whereby one can achieve victory, freedom. Her magick was only a way to use the Force, though the end remained clear, she would be a vessel to offer a new life at the only being in the galaxy capable of cheating death. Her cells would revive his, then he could revive hers once brought back from the limbo.

In the back of her mind, a tiny voice reminded her that someone was coming for her, to help, she did not remember his name, but she was not alone. The loud voice told her she would never be alone again as he would be back soon, the power ran through her, from the ashes and the blood, a cycle, a ritual. A _Sith ritual._

They both checked and prepared their equipments, they took the necessary gears and tools that may serve their mission. Utility belt, comlinks, ration tubes, water, lights. They didn’t find suitable gears for hostile environments, so they decided to reuse the inquisitors outfits to keep them dry, warm and capable of moving easily. They didn’t bother about capes or helmets. Cal was pleased to feel peace in Trilla, her opinion regarding their chance of survival was pretty pessimistic, but as long as they were together, it would be fine. This place would not corrupt them nor break them. The computer informed them they would return to real space shortly, they sat on the pilot and co-pilot seats. As the swirl of hyperspace vanished, they acknowledged the brownish planet beyond the canopy, its inhospitality. They didn’t need Jedi lessons to guess it. As they penetrated the atmosphere, ferocious winds made the ship flicker.

- _The winds are pretty vicious, I need a clear and large area to land._

_-The Valley of the Dark Lords, it must be in ruins, but it will be the best choice to reach the proper tomb._

They approached their destination when they both felt it. Below the ground, something was happening, a great darkness was awakening. None of them said anything. Trilla landed the freighter, she was still in working order. Through the canopy, they saw wild beasts, Tuk’ata hounds hunted by K’lor’slugs. Korriban was far more desolate and hostile than Dathomir, a rocky and sandy hole, some old Sith statues were still standing, high and threatening, others had collapsed, decaying in the sand. Tombs were visible on the left and right, others would be visible beyond and behind them. Far ahead, ruins of an old Sith academy was visible. The Jedi did not colonize this world after the Sith were defeated one thousand years ago, they blacklisted this system to avoid anyone to fall into its cursed secrets.

They were both before the ramp. Focus. Yet, Trilla knew it, the recent vision still fresh in her mind. She feared that she would not have another chance to do it.

- _Cal._

_-I know. We’ll be careful._

If it was just about that...

_-We probably won’t have the possibility to do it, so I suppose it’s now or never._

_-What ?_ As he turned his face to look at her, she leaned in, closed her eyes and soflty kissed him. She felt his surprise though he didn’t refuse the embrace. Neither Cal, nor Trilla had ever done this before, it surely was clumsy, though it would give them both an extra incentive to fulfil their mission.

She felt her skin blush, hopefully he was paler so his own blushing would be deeper than hers. It sounded ironic to do such a thing on a planet like Korriban with Inquisitors garbs on them.

As she withdrew, she guessed her frustration matched his to end it so quickly, but duty called.

- _Well, I definitely can tell you’re full of surprises._ BD who had watched the scene from the floor beeped with a fake jealousy, jumped on Cal’s shoulders and claimed he had more surprises in store. - _Not this kind of surprises Buddy._

She slightly smiled, aware of the threats ahead, threats eager to swallow their light and crush them.

- _Let’s do this._

The ramp let them access the Valley of the Dark Lords. Unaware of their exact destination, they headed towards the ruins of the former Sith Academy. The wind was cold, piercing, noisy, the darkness deeper than the one on Nur. There was a difference with a place where Jedi were tortured, broken and a place where dead Sith Lords had been rested for Millennia, some of the mightiest Sith Lords. Regardless of the thousands of Sith acolytes and Imperial troopers that once lived there. They had been walking for half an hour, avoiding the predators, when BD warned them of a droid in the vicinity. They stopped and grabbed their lightsabers.

The droid came from behind big rocks, a cave was hidden behind. He looked like an old medical droid, rusty and old-fashioned. He greeted them.

- _I am 11-4D. Lord Vader has been expecting you._

 _So much for the surprise…_ Cal thought.

They had had time to anticipate the trap, no it was too late to go back.

- _Please, follow me. I will lead you to my Master._

Without waiting for them, he turned back and entered the caves. They looked at each other, the wind made their hair messy. Cal couldn’t help it, he took her hand and activated his blade as they entered the cavern after the droid. The latter didn’t look back, he seemed to know his way. Trilla also used her lightsaber, the first she used to wield, one green blade came to life and cast another light in their surroundings.

- _What have you done to her ? Is she all right ?_ Cal asked, worried about Merrin. He could not feel her presence, nor hear the droid’s «thoughts».

- _You will find out soon Jedi. She is alive, for now._

Cal gritted his teeth, Trilla seemed to handle better than him the darkness around them, he attempted to regulate his breathing. The cave was dim, damp, cold, foggy, he could hear the weird sound of their steps as they progressed. They took a path leading deeper into the cave, they had turned at many corners, a quick look at Trilla told him she had thought the same thing. The droid tried to confuse them and prevent them from remembering a way out. Hopefully, BD was there and could display a layout, just in case. They reached a thick black door, sparkles around it. The droid pronounced some words, it opened slowly. The darkness within was intoxicating. They could hear the grunts of many creatures nearby, feeding from the natural Dark Side energy of Korriban. The droid went down the stairs, it was even darker there, it smelled a rancid air, though it was not as damp as the cavern. Cal didn’t feel Merrin, but he could tell Vader was now close, the way Trilla tensed next to him told him he was right. He felt sick, the aura of this place, it was unnatural, like an insidious poison spreading in his veins. The droid’s pace started to speed up.

- _Hey, slow down !_ Cal accelerated too to catch up, they were now in a room with three different doors.

- _Cal, don’t !_ Trilla shouted as he let off his grip on her hand.

As the droid crossed the right path, Cal was right behind, it was too late, the door closed. Trilla was left behind.

- _Trilla !_ There was no response, the door did not allow his voice to be heard beyond. Fear settled in his guts. He looked ahead, the droid was nowhere to be seen.

- _BD ?_

_-Beep woo ?_

_-Do you see any pattern on the floor to see where he has gone ?_

BD couldn’t, there was nothing left, this place was abnormal, malevolent. He reached out, trying to feel Trilla. He could feel her presence, though it was tenuous. His mind told him they were only a few meters away from each other. He had to remain lucid and keep going. Trilla could handle herself, apathy here would mean a certain death.

Merrin felt her fall stop. Her own consciousness drifted, slackened, her emotions seemed easier to control, or too weak to overwhelm her. A hooded figure appeared, came closer. She didn’t know his species. Her ignorance of the rest of the galaxy remained a reality. She saw his eyes, dull, dark, hollow and gloomy, but deep within them, a fire had ignited, it grew quickly, too quickly, soon it would set ablaze the entire galaxy. Her gaze couldn’t help but dive into it.

Vader was watching thoroughly the spasms of the witch. A Sith like Darth Plagueis was surely not the easy source of power to deal with. One too weak to deal with it would die, or worse.

He heard mechanical footsteps behind the entrance of the room. He didn’t look at the pitiful droid, it could not help to boast it had managed to lure the boy in the tomb.

- _Your plan has worked Lord Vader. They are both here, with the droid._

The spasms stopped, though the blue fire in the room was still impressive. Slowly, the witch looked up at them, her eyes were different, yellowish, when she started to speak, obviously, the beginning of the ritual had worked. The voice was hoarse, but familiar for the droid. Promising in Vader’s ears.

- _11-4D ? After all this time, is that you ?_

Vader didn’t expect the droid to be so flexible as it knelt before the witch.

- _Yes Master Plagueis, True Lord of the Sith. I am at your service, ready to assist you._

_-Sidious, 11-4D, where is my treacherous apprentice ?_

_-He must have already felt your mighty presence in the Force my Lord, he surely will join us in due time._

The witch turned to face Vader and looked at his belt.

- _Why does a half droid Sith acolyte have my lightsaber on his belt ?_ The lightsaber quickly left Vader’s belt to reach Merrin’s hand.

- _Who are you ?_

Vader could feel the power, he definitely understood why his Master had feared the former Dark Lord of the Sith. Palpatine, Darth Sidious was a Master of Deception, of the Dark Side of the Force, but the mere shadow of the Muun he could see in the witch’s corpse, it was far more ominous than the current Emperor.

- _Darth Vader._

_-Two there should be. No more, no less. One to embody power, the other to crave it. You are not a Sith filthy Jedi._

An unsteady red blade came to life.


	9. The will of the Force

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, the next part of the story, I hope you will enjoy it, I don't want to spoil you anything, the story is waiting for you.
> 
> I really want to thank you all for the comments, support, kudos and everything, it's been a pleasure so far, thank you so much, may the Force be with you !
> 
> One music to ease your reading.  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rb-YVd2eeE

**Chapter 8/ The will of the Force**

Darth Sidious didn’t expect to feel this presence again. An irritating one he thought to have dealt with long ago, right after the battle of Naboo. Right after he had succeeded in being elected Chancellor of the Republic. In his apartment on Coruscant, Hego Damask had joined him to celebrate. The old fool wanted to be Co-Chancellor to advise him from the shadows as Darth Plagueis The Wise. Obsessed with his own research about immortality and the Midi-Chlorians, he had not slept for years, relying on the Dark Side to protect his mind and body from a certain death. Wine had tricked him, he had fallen asleep as Sidious seized the short opportunity to unleash a powerful Sith Force lightning on his former Master. He remembered his own pride when he felt the despair of Plagueis, his rage and confusion, he had lost control for a mere second and paid dearly for that. The rotten smell of flesh had told him that his Master was dead, the shift in the Force he had felt that day was in the end the right one. He assumed that the feeling of loss could be explained by the simultaneous death of Darth Maul, though he would enventually find out that Maul didn’t die on Naboo. The horrors they had done to allow Palpatine to be elected were significant, countless murders, manipulation, deception, terrorism, lies and bribes. He would not suffer another tutelage under his Sith Master. Plagueis’ spirit was gone but not completely destroyed. A part of his Sith experiences taught him how to preserve his soul, wander in the emptiness of the endless galaxy of limbo. Overtime, Sidious had considered unlikely the possibility to see him come back. He had wiped out the Jedi Order, the Sith had taken over and established a new Empire.

He knew that 11-4D was close to its former Master, but it was just a machine designed to obey, a machine doesn’t feel anything, so it didn’t seem illogical for Sidious to become its new Sith Master and make it serve him the same way the former Sith Lord deserved obedience. It had pledged itself to his cause. Personality among droids was a problem, an independent slave was no slave.Some claimed personality may develop without a regular memory erasure. The issue was that 11-4D had had access to decades of Sith knowledge, it was somehow worthier than some Sith Holocrons. Over the years, he had noticed how the droid stopped before the Sith Urn in his own private office, how he seemed to long for its dead Master. The droid never complained nor said anything, Sidious did not dwell on it, for he had more important matters to deal with. When he felt an echo of the ashes on the droid, he should have guessed something was wrong. The droid had for instructions to store its memory in the central computer of the Imperial Palace, just in case. Usually, Sidious’ confidence was a virtue, not a setback.

As for his foolish apprentice… Skywalker was gone long ago, he died that day on Mustafar, the armored Dark Side user would always be a pawn, a more dangerous version of the slave he used to be before the Jedi saved him. Ironic. He had been saved from this isolated world in the Outer Rim by the Jedi to eventually destroy them and get back to his condition of slave. He was a puppet of the Dark Side, he was strong indeed in the Force, after all, Plagueis and him had never managed to trully understand if the boy from Tatooine they saw on Coruscant was really their own creation or a reaction of the Force to Plagueis’ researches. It didn’t matter as Sidious had realized the Sith vision, the great scheme, the Grand Plan that Darth Bane planned one thousand years ago. The Sith rejected the Force as a perfect entity, its so-called will revered by the Jedi was a weakness, a true Sith would bend the power of the Force to his own will, it was an asset to grant power to conquer and dominate the will of others. One capable of embracing the darkness to sacrifice his body, soul and feelings for anyone would receive a power greater than any Jedi, greater than any Force sect in the galaxy would ever allow to pass on. The Sith were all powerful. The only problem that could not be ignored was the betrayal, the permanent threat to be stabbed in the back by your apprentice or your master if you were caught off guard. The unexpected issue for Sidious was to be threatened at the same moment by his own apprentice and former master. All of that because he had managed to teach Vader to hide his emotions to serve him better and because of a sentimental droid. He didn’t trust much people in his Empire, the Inquisitors were too weak and unstable, the Stormtroopers expendable, the officers only cared about their life and promotions. Though there was a very few people worthy of his trust. He used the comlink in his chair.

- _Moff Tarkin._

_-My Emperor._

_-You will have to travel to Korriban, let Krennic take care of our secret Project for now, I sense that Lord Vader is in danger._ _Take control of the Executrix and prepare for surgical strikes if need be. You will send a team of Death Troopers to rescue my broken apprentice_ _or collect his body, his death is acceptable_ _._

_-Understood my Lord. May I ask you what kind of enemy we will be facing ?_

_Wise, but loyal. This man has a real future in my Empire._ Sidious smiled under the wrinkles of his face.

_-A threat of the past. I will be myself on the ground._

_-My Lord, shall we pick you up on Coruscant ?_

_-It is not necessary, I have everything I need from my meditation sphere._

He ended the transmission. In a few hours, Tarkin would be there. He was a man of efficiency and duty, exactly what the Empire needed. He got up and called his lightsaber to his hand. The weight of the weapon familiar, somehow reassuring, many lives had been taken thanks to it. Some Jedi even died in this place. He activated the blade and looked closely at it, a wicked smile on his face. _Now, let’s finish this Master,_ _once and for all_ _._

Mas Amedda, a few steps behind shuddered by hearing this unique feral laugh in the galaxy.

Merrin’s sight was blurry, again, but she glimpsed a faint light ahead, it was a cave, with a pool in the center. She could barely move, it would take long before she reached the black water. She didn’t feel anything around her, an eternal sleep seemed to call her, she moved slowly, very slowly. There was no sound to be heard, she was alone, her steps didn’t leave footprints, she was like a ghost.

 _You are not alone Sister. Not yet._ She knew that voice, she had heard it in her childhood, her closest friend who died under the blades of the armored warrior. But her voice, it was pure in her head, dissipating the misty fog in her mind. _You are not dead yet Merrin,_ _time has not come_ _to be reunited. Hold on._

She stopped, she could see her arms and legs, she did not remember to be that meager, like if all her muscles and fat tissues had never existed, like if only bones and skin remained. A friend was supposed to join her, to help her before she fell in the darkness. She had touched ashes, drunk blood from a dead person. A Sith, whoever he was. Someone was coming. Someone. An outsider. A reliable ally. But she was weak. She didn’t remember his name. She couldn’t remember. So she stopped, she waited. Waited for something to happen. It was easier than to fight the pressure on her mind.

- _Cal !_ Instinctively Trilla used her ligthsaber against the sealed door, it didn’t cut through. It was too thick, she would only waste her time. She felt his presence on the other side, it was sublte, she guessed that only their bond reunited them. In the darkness of this tomb, the connection to the Light was damaged. They would be a beacon for each other. Their senses were deceived here, the Dark Side aura of Korriban far more penetrative than any other planet she had ever travelled to.

She could feel him, he was alive, it was all that mattered. _Be careful, that’s all I ask._ For now, she had to find another way, she turned back and looked at the two different doors. One on the left led upstairs. She slowly moved in that direction. The other led downstairs, deeper in the tomb’s secrets. She remembered the vision, left and right, they may not be the same paths, but her senses had urged her to take the right path.

_All of my actions have led me to this moment, to this place. Both of us. I won’t fail you._

She was surprised to feel that her inquisitor garb gave her some confidence, it had been tainted by the Dark Side, it was different from the Dark Side aura she felt in that tomb. Here, it was pure evil, something that would utterly swallow you and destroy every trace of your own existence. Her armor seemed immune, to protect her against silly thoughts. She could feel the cold presence of the Dark Side around her, ready to control her provided she let go. She had overcome this touch. However, she was not a Jedi, not anymore, she could no longer believe in their dogma. She was just Trilla, who cared about a particular Jedi with whom she shared a bond. Cal had showed her who she really was. A woman, with feelings and emotions, she had been through a lot of trauma, she had lost herself, in the end he was the one who saved her from herself. He was a true Jedi, only one of them would have been that foolish to face the threats of Korriban against a Sith, with a fallen Jedi and a droid at his sides for only allies. But he was no common Jedi. Besides, their connection had granted them both a Force sight greater than their basic powers, together, they could withstand this place, face their fate. Soon, they would find out the true extent of it.

As she crossed the door, it sealed before her too. She kept going, she would eventually be with him, she just had to keep that in mind. The fog on the floor hid her boots, but no living creatures were to be seen. The tomb was in ruins, not enough space to move freely, her green lightsaber offered her the light she needed to see where to go. She entered another room, someone was in the middle.

- _You’ve finally come, Trilla._

It was not possible. She was dead, she had killed her, she had read about visions, which were even stronger in places anchored in the Force, Light or Dark places.

- _You are not real. I killed you._ _You have no power over me._

Cere Junda faced her, she wore the outfit she already had last time.Her eyes dull, her face twisted, her body carried the lightsaber wounds she had caused.

- _You are a traitor my apprentice._

_-You’ll have to do better than that. I know you are a vision trying to confuse me, I remember your words when I killed you, what you did through the Force to reach me. You are not Cere._ _Even_ _if you were, even_ _here, I wouldn’t apologize. I had to kill you. It was necessary, for both of us. It also has led me here._

_-You’ve come to this place with him, you will be responsible for his death. You were supposed to move on with him, to save your lives._ _You lacked the will to stop him._ _You’ve let him down._ _You’ve betrayed his trust._

_What ? No. It’s not true, I will never betray him... Calm yourself, this is just an illusion trying to make you lose your temper and waste your time._

_-You’ve played with his feelings, you’ve always liked manipulating those around you to make_ _them_ _think of you, look at yourself Trilla._ _Look at what you have become. I should never have trained you. You should never have been accepted among us._

That last sentences triggered a surge of anger within her, such lies were nothing compared to what they had both felt and experienced, the thrill during their common visions, when they touched each other, when they spoke, the feelings had evolved, desire had sparked, these forbidden feelings were real, no manipulation could have let them appear, regardless of her mistakes, they had escaped, learned, changed together.

_-You know, it is rather odd to see a Dark Side apparition talk about feelings and emotions that have nothing to do with the darkness of this place. Quite the opposite to be honest._

_-The darkness of this place ? Or yours Trilla ? Your corruption is limitless._ Cere’s twisted face vanished to be replaced by herself. She remembered her own face after she had killed Cere. She had felt the Dark Side deeply within her, she knew her eyes had changed, she had seen her skin change, her temple crack. Rest helped the recovery. This corruption was something of the Sith. The face she saw was far worse, scary, ugly, her eyes were acute, yellowish and red, her wrinkled face a pale grey, cracked, gaunt, her dark sleek hair now scarce, grey and dull, The apparition’s voice was hoarse, unnatural. She used the usual inquisitor lightsaber, red blades alight.

- _If you want to reach him, you will have to kill me, I won’t let you touch him, we are better off without you._ Inwardly, Trilla smiled, Cal would never have had feelings for her had she been like that. _There is nothing to save in someone like you..._

- _So be it, Second Sister._

The fight was unexpectedly short, Trilla could anticipate her own moves, so she could guess what her rival would do. After a few blows, she saw an opening and switched off one blade, unbalancing her nemesis _Thanks for that Cal._ And stroke her head. The vision vanished.

 _-Why did you kill her ? Will you kill us too now ?_ She remembered all too well this skaky, quavering voice. She frowned, this place could even corrupt the memories of innocent Younglings. She felt Cal’s mind reached her, sending her confort and peace, he was safe, on his way to the witch.

She smiled and faced the three Younglings, her smile immediately disappeared when she noticed their faces. Zylho had that cauterized blaster mark on her forehead which killed her, blood and dirt on her face and clothes. Berhyl’s body was pierced by the shots which hit him in the back, she could see smoky holes where his lungs should be, as well as the dirt and earth scattered on his frame. And Teebo, the burst of fire that aimed at her had torn his frail silhouette. The three of them held their lightsabers.

_-I will never forget what happened to you, I remember all too well. None of you deserved it._

_-To get away ?_

_-To die. At least you’ve found peace._

_-Peace is a lie._ The little Rodian spit. She sighed, she was wasting time, if she let her anger explode, the Darkness would attack her, if she calmed herself, the challenges would slow her down.

- _You had the chance to meet a fate better than the one which would have been yours had you survived that day, you are one with the Force now. We would never have escaped the maze on our own, we were trapped when she left us._

 _-You were too weak to save us Trilla, you have always sought excuses for your weaknesses. If you refuse to fight, you will face your fate. Apathy is death._ The three jumped at the same moment to attack her. She didn’t move, she braced herself for the impact, the blades hit her. Nothing happened. Except, a turmoil in the Force and a weird warmth in her body. The Light Side was protecting her. The Younglings faded away, she didn’t know whose voice it was, but she heard it clearly in her mind. _There is no hope left for you in this place Jedi, you are doomed._

The Force told her otherwise. She used the Force to speed her pace and resumed her own path, _Cal needs me_.

Cal felt it, the cold embrace of the surroundings waited for his mistake. He centered himself, felt Trilla’s presence, they remained together, through the Force. Hopefully, the path ahead seemed quite linear, it went deeper below the surface, though it was a one way path, that meant the droid used the same to get back to Vader. Except if there was a hidden area behind a wall or something like that. Cal didn’t think the droid wanted to deceive him and let him die alone in the tomb, it simply wished to get back to Vader rather quickly. For what ?

- _You okay BD ? You’re too quiet._

It was not BD’s habit, especially in hostile territory to be like that. Something was wrong. The small beep startled him. _What is it bud ? Of course you’re my friend, your memory is busted or what ?_

BD-1 didn’t reply, simply delivered a hidden transmission. Cal thought he had seen all the messages of Eno Cordova, this one gave him the creeps.

- _BD-1,_ _finally_ _the time has come. The Order has fallen._ _The rare_ _Jedi survivors will be challenged and conflicted, you will be alone but you must remember your true allegiance, my death won’t be the end of your journey._ _They will come for me, yet I have time to secure this message in your memory._ _I have had a vision._ _In due time, you will find other fellow Jedi. One of them will be the one to help you find out the truth about the Zeffo and access the Holocron to rebuild our order. He may be the one with whom you will stick till the end. This Jedi, if he proves his valor, if he accomplishe_ _s_ _this mission, then you w_ _ill_ _have to let him know this._ _First, be_ _sure that he is the right friend you need, that you both_ _have_ _solve_ _d_ _the Zeffo case first to secure the Holocron._

Cal didn’t understand, but now he had the impression that Cordova was clearly looking at him in the eyes.

 _Listen to me fellow Jedi,_ _your work is not finished. As a Jedi, you will pursue one of our ancient goals,_ _as a Sentinel in the shadows, you must_ _protect the galaxy from the Sith disease. T_ _he Sith are a belief, they don’t simply use the Force in evil ways for selfish purposes, they twist the very essence of the Force itself_ _to seek power, wage war, ensure destruction,_ _destroy the Light, alter the Force_ _. Their reckless attempts to uncover forbidden knowledge must not be ignored. Ancient civilizations,_ __ _the Gree, the Kwa, the Rakata, the Zeffo, the Sharu even the Celestials have made this mistake,_ _they all have fallen. T_ _he Force has a wi_ _ll,_ _it is beyond all of us._ _Even the wisest Jedi Masters remained humble before the Force, its knowledge is endless._ _Even in places where one can’t feel it, its presence remains, only one’s senses are deceived, but no one can submit_ _or destroy_ _the Force._ _T_ _he_ _will of the Force_ _may take time_ _to be visible_ _,_ _yet_ _when it happens, if the Sith have already gone too far, the Force will unleash havoc to bring back balance._ _Terrible things will happen if you run away from your fate. You won’t be alone, but the galaxy’s future is in your hands. Stop this ancient evil, stop the awakening, sacrifice yourself if need be._ _A Light may exist in your enemy, do not forget it. If you feel it, feed it. Whatever the dark place where you will_ _be,_ _f_ _ace_ _your destiny, remember to know the Light for what it is._ _Trust in the Force._

_-Beep-Be-Be-Beep-Be._

Cal was puzzled, he had alteady felt the threat and the darkness, he had guessed the Force had a will for Trilla and him, that was why they had been united to face a common enemy. Now, so close to the end, it simply added more questions. _Why us ? For w_ _hat_ _particular threat_ _s_ _?_ _Saving Merrin was the priority, but what about the rest ?_

_-So_ _this is the last step BD, together ?_

_Be-Beep._ The friendly weight gave him some confidence. They may find a way out, he had to be optimistic, call on the Light to remain strong and resist the pressure of the Dark Side.

He felt Trilla’s presence, her anger worried him, she was facing something. It would not kill her, but it annoyed her. He sent her some positive feelings to ease her temper. _We are close, calm yourself, we’ll meet o_ _n_ _the other side,_ _be careful Trilla_ _._

He didn’t feel Merrin’s presence, the only he could sense was his own and Trilla’s. They needed each other to move on. Both would be together soon, it helped in a way, he hurried his pace.

Vader didn’t expect that. It would not change anything. The Muun had a strong spirit, nothing surprising. But fencing skills, that remained to be proven. If a fight was now necessary, he would be ready. The atmosphere was eerie, the crackling blue fire from the Urn as well as the Dark Side energy made the room windy, icy,

- _The last one who called me Jedi is dead, Sith. I didn’t come here to crush a spirit, you will give me your power to save her._

_-A true Sith doesn’t care about anyone but himself. No sacrifice is too great to achieve power. Others are resources, they serve up to a point. No_ _true Sith Lord makes_ _______the mistake to depend on someone else._ _He didn’t train you. You are just a pawn in his games, a wild untameable_ _brute waiting for orders to slain a nuisance._

_-The witch is dying, she can’t support your corruption, you will get back to ashes if you don’t regulate the pressure on her._ _I am giving you the chance to pass on your power, instead of oblivion._ Plagueis stepped towards Vader. Merrin’s silhouette under the heavy Sith robe seemed smaller than ever.

 _-You are the one we created. The boy w_ _ho_ _came on Coruscant that day, with the Jedi. I remember you, we were working on Midi-Chlorians, we crafted life, cells, I had killed and revived many times beasts and my former master’s apprentice. You are what the Jedi call_ _ed_ _the Chosen One. The Chosen One for failure, for betrayal._ Vader’s fists clenched, he almost felt the hilt of his lightsaber crack, the crystal responded to his hatred. If the spirit would not cooperate, if he didn’t let him save Padmé, he would crush it and kill the witch. He would then torture Kestis and enter his mind to see what he sees through the Force by touching the Sith’s items. As for the treacherous Second Sister, he would break her neck and let his blade behead her haughty face, he had waited long enough for that. Enough of this charade.

- _Save her ? Save ? Is that even a word for a Sith ? She would not even desire you. You are nothing but a child, with an armor to survive. In the end, you are_ _all_ _alone, Skywalker._

Vader had the impression his blood had stopped running through his veins, his anger about to explode.

- _If you refuse to submit, then you will suffer what y_ _our Apprentice_ _failed to inflict you._

_-Foolish slave, your_ _power is no match for me._

Both unleashed a Force wave that sent echoes through the walls, the room quaked, except for the Sith Urn and the droid which had been quiet through the exchange.

As both lightsabers clashed against the other, Vader didn’t expect that raw strength, surely the body was completely under the influence of the Sith’s spirit. He suddenly felt an incoming threat, as he turned his head, he saw the droid, sparkles around its surface, an electrical knife in the hand. Vader quickly disengaged himself to protect his armor, but the same chamber was too close. Plagueis jumped to hit him again while yelling at his droid, _Now, stab him !_ Vader was trapped, he countered the blow and Force pushed the Sith who barely stumbled before he countered the droid’s attack, and realized his mistake. Once more, his blade disappeared after the collision with the cortosis. A rare material capable of undoing lightsabers, making them inoperative. Jedi had trapped him like that on Kessel five years ago, he had survived, he would survive today too. His Force scream of pure hatred sent the droid across the room, it purely disintegrated before meeting the wall, scraps spread on the floor. As he tried to choke the witch, his right hand was cut by a lightsaber. Vader staggered but the Sith blade was already on its way to meet his mask. Suddenly, it stopped, not exactly stopped, slackened. Vader immediately used this opportunity to throw a more powerful Force push on his opponent. The impact hit its target, the witch body flew across the room, the robe fell from her body, she hit the floor with a sound of broken bones. Vader called to his left hand Plagueis’ saber and noticed the presence of the one who had slowed the Sith.

- _Cal Kestis. Just in time,_ _Jedi_ _._

Cal was gaining ground, he could feel the Dark Side grew, there was a fight nearby, the energy made the tomb quake but no sign of Merrin’s presence. He used the Force again to probe his surroundings when he reached a room, what he saw froze him. In a dim circular chamber where only a lightsaber and blue cracklings cast a light, Vader had just destroyed the droid 11-4D, he had lost a hand and faced a dark hooded figure. The latter was about to strike Vader down, the unsteady red blade a proof of the ominous being who wielded it. He used the Force instinctively and slowed the movements. Vader reacted by violently pushing the figure away from him. The robe fell from the body, he recognized her immediately, she hit the floor with a terrible noise, Cal’s eyes widened, he rushed to look at her, his lightsaber in his hand, well aware of Vader nearby. He could see the sparks coming from Vader’s right stump. Creepy, yet logical with his breathing sound, more machine than human.

He ignored his fake greetings.

- _Merrin, do you hear me ?_ He wanted to touch her, to squeeze her, why was she so weak, bloody, dirty and so meager ? Why were her cheeks so hollow, her wrists thin ? His senses were especially alert in this tomb, he could feel that a spirit threatened to kill them all. If he touched her, it would be his demise. _Merrin, wake up ! It’s me, Cal !_ He quickly focused his mind to contact Trilla. _Trilla,_ _I’ve found her, Vader is here._ _We need you !_

 _-Merr…_ Cal was propelled backwards, a shadow left Merrin body, it was slender, black as space itself, yet he couldn’t miss the yellow eyes in the shape of a face looking like a Muun.

- _Has my apprentice been so neglectful to let such heretical beings befoul the sacred ground of Korriban ? You shall all learn and die here, you can’t defeat me, I will not be denied, no one will bring me down._ _Your sacrifice will be my rebirth._

Merrin was about to fall in the pool, the light in its depth called to her, her brain seemed lighter, it told her that the fall would be the last one, that her coven would be whole gain with the last of its member. She was sad, something had not been accomplished, she had failed at one point, she didn’t remember which one. It was too late anyway, so why would she be bothered about it ?

A distant pain reached her, it grew stronger, more painful. _It’s me, Cal !_ She felt her body being harshly dragged by a firm grip, her bones started to fire, her ribs, her left arm. She could feel again.

She opened her eyes, only to feel her broken left arm and ribs, only to spit blood on her dirty clothes, she was confused, she had lost vital energy and strength, she could not fight.

 _-Cal…_ Her voice was low, in the unnatural sounds around her, the shadow ahead, the lightsabers, the breathing, Cal’s droid, she felt alien. His droid had jumped on her stomach, it was heavy, painful, but two of his appendices had a green tube, a syringe on each extremity, BD used it to penetrate her flesh. She let go a muffled sound as she felt her nerves work and react, it was some kind of healing liquids she supposed, it spread quickly throughout her body, it would be bearable for a while, but it would not heal her wounds, it would play for time at best.

- _BD move NOW !_ Merrin didn’t have time to move neither, Cal’s warning was too late, the shadow was above them, yet before it managed to touch Merrin, a Force wave threw it against the Urn, as well as Merrin, Cal and BD. The impact between them and the Urn created an explosion which hit them all, Vader included, they rebounded and ricocheted on the walls and floor near the closest entrance door. Cal felt his nose break as he hit the roof head first, blood on his face, in his eyes, his lightsaber switched off and fell next to his body. He ignored the pain, struggled to focus and awkardly grabbed the hilt. Hopefully the consolidated Inquisitor garb had protected his back and chest. Merrin’s body and left arm hit several times the walls and the floor, she let go a scream of pain before she fell on the ground, blood and bruises on her face and body. BD broke in two after the third hit, his head fell on the floor, separated from the legs.His light diminishing quickly, he beeped slowly, calling Cal, his legs fell carelessly near his best friend.

Vader recovered the first and approached them promptly, idly cut BD’s head in two with his blade. Cal didn’t control it, he didn’t have time to scream, in a second he was up, he reacted by pure instinct, like on Bogano when he saw his reflect in the Vault. He gritted his teeth and made the most powerful Force push he had ever done, Vader flew across the room to collide with the opposite wall. The shadow seemed to hawk closely over the room now, the Urn had exploded, it was darker, only the lightsabers cast light, the crackles had vanished. The cold temperature, icier due to the wind added to the dreadful atmosphere. 

Vader recovered again, he looked at Cal with contempt, though nothing could betray his features behind the mask. Cal felt his rage, he was burning from the inside.

_-If this is all you can do_ _thanks to_ _your_ _anger_ _, you will be dead soon Jedi._ _Nothing will save you here._

Cal looked down at his buddy’s remains, a few seconds ago, he was with him, a few seconds later, he was gone, the truth was hard to digest so quickly. The metallic scraps still smoldering.

Cal put himself before Merrin, his yellow blade as a shield for both of them. _You won’t touch her, you’re done hurting her Sith, I wo…_ Vader quickly reduced the distance between them by bringing Cal on his knees in front of him through the Force, while choking him. The friction on the floor abrased his skin. _I should have killed you all on Nur, you and the other_ __ _traitor._ Cal tried to strike Vader with his blade but Vader easily countered the blow with Plagueis’ saber and hit Cal’s head diagonally, mutilating his face from the jaw to the forehead. He almost lost consciousness due to the sudden pain, though Vader seemed to be willing to play with him and sent him back to Merrin. If he could not obtain what he sought, others would suffer the consequences. Merrin was feeble, but the stims, her anger, fear and despair gave her the strength to get up and yell, _Get up Cal, we have to fight back, get up now !_

With her magick, she summoned Vader’s saber to her right hand, the blade came to life yet it was irregular, it lacked of energy. With her broken arm, flickering legs, she didn’t go far, but she stood proudly against Vader ahead of them. The shadow above attacked her again, Merrin didn’t have time to scream, she dropped the lightsaber. As she opened her mouth to say something, Vader turned to face the shadow in her eyes. _H_ _e_ _will be_ _here_ _soon_ _. The Dark Lord of the Sith_ _will be_ _here, it will soon all be over._ His head turned towards the other door. _Ah, now we are_ _all_ _reunited,_ _come closer,_ _Second Sister,_ _it is time to answer for your crimes_ _._ With that, he used the Force and his lightsaber aimed at Trilla, the blade worked once more, cortosis’ effects gone.

Trilla had felt Cal’s fear and pain increasing over the last minutes, she was late, her path was tortuous, encumbered by ruins, rocks and long dead creatures. The quakes she had felt didn’t help. She finally reached a long corridor whose end gave access to an eerie room, blue sparks crackled inside though it suddenly disappeared after a detonation. Blackness was everywhere. She only saw lightsaber blades ahead, one, no, two red blades, one yellow. She could tell the darkness was old, ominous and merciless. She also guessed that Cal was inside. _So close and so far._ She could feel Cal’s sufferings, he was fighting, she tried to reach him though his mind was too hazy to respond. Her grip on her lightsaber was tight, the fight would be intense, they had both come willingly, aware of the danger. It was time to face it.

The power in the chamber oozed Sith alchemy. Vader attacked her, she easily countered the saber throw. She looked at them, at him. Cal was next to his friend who irradiated corruption, both injured. _What have they done to your face ?_ She noticed the droids were also destroyed, she felt sorry for Cal, a part of her felt sorry for the droid, in a few days it had become rather friendly. But it was not time to mourn, in spite of her fear, she faced her enemy. She saw the eyes of the witch, Sith influence easy to determine. Vader focused on her, she heard his voice in her head.

- _You’ve failed Trilla Suduri. As a Jedi, as an Inquisitor. Your life is a failure._ _I can sense your feelings for him, you had once been taught better control over your emotions,_ _follow him to die with him… A Jedi as clumsy as you are stupid. Disappointing._

 _-Trilla, w_ _e must stick together._ Cal started but suddenly, the witch jumped on Vader and launched an assault of merciless strikes as Plagueis’ saber came to her hand, yet Vader didn’t panick, in a second he had summoned his own saber and countered all of her blows, with a powerful backlash, he cut Merrin’s left forearm at the elbow. The scream of pain didn’t prevent her from striking once more though Vader sidestepped and hit her wrist, the blade cut through the top of the hilt. He used the Force to fix her body against the roof. Both Cal and Trilla jumped to join the fray, it was rough, they didn’t have enough space to move properly, Vader seemed to better stand his ground against them, the darkness fed him.

Trilla could not help it, she felt fear and anger, she could not die here without fighting, without facing the one who had terrified her for the last five years, the one who wanted to kill her for a simple mistake. She would give him reasons to try to kill her. She felt Cal call her, even with his droid’s destruction, his injury, he attempted to center himself, to give her support, but they were only delaying the inevitable, she had foreseen it. As Vader countered their blows, the witch broke free of his hold, she unleashed a Force shockwave which unbalanced them all. They fell on the ground, she used a deadly Force lightning against Vader, he screamed, dropped his lightsaber, stumbled and fell on his knees.

- _Merrin, stop, listen to me, you’re not yourself !_ Cal struggled to get up, though he had to, his friend was under the influence of a Sith Lord, he could not let this spirit control her, he guessed that the dead Sith was the one they had to stop, his aura and darkness deeper than Vader’s.

Trilla hesitated, Cal would understand, she knew the Dark Side, she could see it for what it was, she used her lightsaber and stabbed the Nightsister in the stomach. The Force lightning stopped. Immediately, the witch faced her, Force pushed Cal towards Vader, her eyes seemed to flicker, Trilla’s second lightsaber left her belt and reached Merrin’s hand. An eerie fire started to crackle around her frame, two purple blades came to life, she attacked her. Trilla lost ground quickly, the fighting style was addle-brained but rough, brutal, she didn’t expect that level of strength from a dead-looking witch.

Suddenly, she felt Cal’s confusion, something terrible was happening to him, she felt his dread. If he had touched Vader, that meant... This moment of confusion let her defenses be exposed, the witch stabbed her in the stomach too. A muffled groan came out of her mouth, she fell on her right knee before being Force pushed backwards, her hilt dropped somewhere on the floor. Her senses were confused, pain, exhaustion, emotions, it was too quick, overwhelming, all at once, she thought her head would explode soon. The witch’s bloody head suddenly looked up, a grim shadow left her and came for Trilla.

Merrin was lost, she had retrieved her senses to lose them once again shortly after her awakening, the Sith shadow, Darth Plagueis, the name now undeniable in her confused mind, was siphoning her energy, her will, dominating her. Her body was dying, she felt a fire on her skin, broken bones, pain, she did not remember when she had a lightsaber like this in her hand, she wavered, noticed that Cal was injured, wavering too a few steps before her, his lightsaber in his hand, another one in the other. They had come for her, these two people, she didn’t know how, but she felt their deep connection and affection, she couldn’t let them die for her.

When Cal was projected against Vader, he didn’t expect to feel that, the Sith had been hit by a lightning, the intensity too powerful for his mechanical parts, yet his hatred kept increasing. Vader had thrown him to the ground, his hand didnt’t let go of his weapon, though the other unexpectedly met Vader’s saber. He didn’t have time to think before the echo overwhelmed him. He immediately saw a massacre, Vader hunting down Jedi after the end of the Clone Wars, he saw him bow before the Emperor, he saw him oppress and terrify people and Imperials, on worlds, ships or in an Imperial cell. He killed many foes, innocent or guilty of crimes against the Empire. But he also saw the man behind the mask. He had never met him in person, but he knew his face, he couldn’t believe it. He first saw it in a Bacta tank and in a meditation sphere. Mutilated, injured, wailing about his sins, calling for his former Master, for his wife. Cal really couldn’t believe it, he felt the agony, he wanted to vomit, to die, he saw Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar, Obi-Wan Kenobi was leaving him for dead, the Emperor came for him and forced him to wear the armor. He could see him strangle Senator Amidala, and worse, he could see him launch the assault against the Jedi Temple. Butcher their family, the Jedi, old and young, the Younglings in the Jedi Council’s Chamber. He felt the echo of the murders, of the betrayal. He did not hear himself say it aloud, but it was enough for someone else to hear it. _Anakin._ It stopped as suddenly as it had come when he felt a hand firmly anchored around his neck, it would break in a few seconds, he dropped Vader’s lightsaber.

_-Your life ends here Jedi._

He came back to reality, felt Trilla’s pain, though what he had seen gave him a strength he didn’t expect to possess after what they had just been through. He managed to let go a scream of determination and cut Vader’s hand with his lightsaber in his right hand. He fell on the floor, catching his breath, only to feel fingers grasp his collar and got him up, a feeble voice told him. _Cal, you must escape, you must leave this place,_ _save yourself,_ _save her_ _…_

Cal’s lightsaber was still alight, but there was no escape, not now, never. The Force had led them here for a reason, to stop the Sith from coming back, they had to destroy this Shadow. The Chosen one was in front of him, the one who had betrayed them instead of protecting the Order and bringing balance to the Force. He looked at Merrin, she was dying, he could feel life abandon her, but somehow, she kept fighting, the inexplicable fire around her matched her determination.

- _Do as I say, s_ _ave_ _t_ _he one you love_ _and leave Cal Kestis._ With that said, she pushed Cal towards Trilla and unleashed a blow on Vader’s mask that revealed his eyes, corrupted and also exposed.

Their Light faded, the Dark Side was slowly draining all the energy they had left.

Trilla was on the ground, the wound in her stomach was deep, she was caught off guard, at the moment where no mistakes were allowed. The shadow was coming for her, darker than her already dim environment. She was scared, she saw the witch and Cal ahead, before a defenseless Vader, like in her vision. A part of her wanted to scream, to urge them to kill Vader and leave, yet somehow, a part of her was aware that the real threat was above her. _Are you a better host for me, Jedi ?_

She could feel the Sith’s eagerness, anger and resolution as it drew nearer. She felt Cal, he was coming for her, suddenly she heard it. It was over. A wicked, twisted, evil laugh. The Emperor appeared in the center of the room. A Force apparition capable of altering their environment. His Sith robe matched the darkness.

Cal felt a threat behind him as he ran to reach Trilla, he felt her pain and fear, he could not contain his anymore too, the Dark Side was too powerful, the flame of the Light inside him was giving them up. They were too weak, alone, but Merrin had told him to go, something terrible was about to happen, he had to save Trilla and leave, yet he would cut through this shadow first. He jumped and let his blade pierce through the lifeless being, it didn’t destroy it, yet its frame ignored them, instead it focused on the new hooded figure in the center of the room. He grabbed Trilla, tried to get her up and support her, he could feel her pain, she could feel his, but they were together again, close, their bodies and minds connected, mentally and physically. Trilla managed to use the Force, her weapon came to her hand. In spite of the wound in her stomach, she would be able to walk for a while. They were confused, they only knew that they would be together. Ahead of them was a hooded figure, Trilla told him it was the Emperor. Facing him, the aura of Darth Plagueis. Behind was Merrin, Trilla’s saber in her hand and Vader, on his knees. She saw the yellow dots, his mask was broken. His breathing sound now irregular.

- _Long have I waited_ _for_ _this, at last the Master will learn his lesson. It is too late, you will no longer challenge my reign over the galaxy. I have succeeded where you have failed._

Cal wondered if there was an end to this darkness, he felt sick, his body begged him to surrender and let death take him away, they could not make it.

Merrin didn’t have much time, if she could at least kill the armored warrior before her, she would somehow avenge her people, somehow let Cal and that woman escape, she could grant them a distraction, thank them for their attempt to rescue her. It was foolish, but typical of her friend. She owed him this sacrifice. She felt that the sudden intervention of another dark figure would deal with the Shadow of the Sith. This place of darkness was too much for her senses, her magick would never protect her, it had abandoned her in fact. She prepared to land the killing blow when her right arm was frozen, the warrior rose and looked at her. His eyes terrified her. The lightsaber stuck in her hand, she was helpless. The red one on the floor ignited, slowly lifted and moved to stop before her eyes, the tip so close of her iris.

_-_ _This is the end for you, Nightsister. Get back to your_ _coven_ _._

_-F_ _orgive my sins, Mother, Sisters_ _…_ Last thing she saw, last thing she felt, was the red light which illuminated her sight.

Cal wanted to yell, anger, sorrow pervaded him, but Trilla told him to go. Merrin was gone, giving them a few seconds. They stumbled together out of the room as the Emperor unleashed endless Force lightning on the shadows, they could feel the spirit's energy diminish while hearing that laugh, the spirit would soon be crushed and gone. It was windy, icy, deadly. As they crossed the entrance door, they heard footsteps behind them. Vader was coming. Their pace was too slow, exhaustion, pain, fear, anger tricked them. The Light could not prevail, not here, not in the darkest places of the galaxy. They were alone against a Universe ruled by the Sith, but they were together. They both helped each other to move on, despite their injuries, to delay the end as it meant they would feel one another’s presence a little longer. The hole in her stomach made her struggle to breathe, the searing lightsaber wound on his face made his sight blurry. They thought about each other, about their survival. They didn’t speak, they didn’t need to.

The witch was dead, Vader couldn’t deny her resilience had been unexpected, impressive. The level of corruption from Plagueis was high, she should have died earlier. But somehow, she had resisted. Her friends had come for her, his plan had utterly failed. They were willing to sacrifice their life for her, she did it for them in the end. Those feelings, he had known them, he could no longer feel them but he knew them. They came from the Jedi, no, from the Light Side. He was a slave, the Darkness had consumed him, he had lost everything, his Master would not forgive him so easily, what will be the punishment ? And yet, a part of him, deeply buried, asked him if it was all necessary to kill them here ? His brain, his heart raced, they would not escape. The Jedi knew his identity, his unbearable humiliation. He had a new mission, his Master would not accept such a mistake. With the Force, he provoked a landslide, the stones from the roof collapsed ahead, they were trapped. He had lost his hands, he had lost many things over the last years. He didn’t need them to take their lives. They were a few dozens meters ahead. They stopped and disappeared in the shadows and dust from the landslide. Yet, he saw their blades, yellow and green. _The Light will leave them, forever._

He could tell his Master was about to get them rid of Plagueis’ spirit. Surely he would get rid of the leftover ashes on Coruscant too.

He saw them again, they faced him, bracing themselves, weak, scared, barely adults. Yet ready for the inevitable.

- _Trilla ? I need to tell you._ Cal started, his voice broken. He thought about her, about their choice, their end, together.

 _-I know. I know. I feel the same Cal._ They were facing Vader, lightsabers in their hands, too weak to use it. They hooked on each other, their last strength would only give them some composure to accept their fate. Vader looked at them, it was time to end this. Yet, he felt it, the spirit was now gone. They had felt it too, they all looked at the Emperor behind them. In a second, he was next to Vader, it didn’t make sense, how could he be so fast ?

- _Now my Apprentice, it is time for your last lesson. Death is not a suitable punishment for you. You may still have some use for me. Their own death will remind you what you seem to have forgotten._

The unreal figure of the Emperor faced them, his grin spread despair in their minds. They instinctively took each other's hand, resistance was futile. They prepared for the shock, the lightning didn’t take long to hurt them. They didn’t have time to scream, they fell on the ground, the intensity cut through their flesh, damaged their organs. Life and energy slowly left them. Their bodies were broken, burnt, they would die helpless. 

Vader was looking, he had lost everything, the Emperor showed him he would have nothing for the rest of his meaningless life. No family was left, no one would care for him. He was alone to face his fate, only the Dark Side could offer him a power to survive. Those two had dreamed and died because of their feelings and beliefs. Here, in a tomb of Korriban, the Dark Side of the Force had extinguished their Light, seeing the true extent of the Dark Side, the will of the Force had complied. Sidious taught him that there was no hope, no Light left, his fate was to serve him as a slave, the slave he had always been. And to be disposed of once he would be of no other use. No one cared for him, and it was his own fault. He didn’t deserve compassion nor affection. No one would ever give him these common feelings again. He would remember that. He would remember that day where two Jedi died before him under the lightning of his Master. They died because of their feelings and naivety, because they believed in values no longer acceptable in this galaxy. They died because they deserved it. Did they really deserve that fate ? Yet, they died together. He would die alone. In the end, in the heart of the darkness, he was nothing. As his Master finally stopped his attack, he saw their lifeless bodies laying on the floor, together. He could have let them go. He had made his choice. Once more, the wrong choice. The thought crushed him.

 _Remember this Vader. Anakin Skywalker is dead, you will meet the same fate in time. Be sure not to give me an excuse to make it happen quicker than expected._ His Master vanished.

Vader had been looking at their dead bodies for a while when he felt presences and a light behind him.

_-We’ve found him, he is alive. Commander, do you copy ? We’ve found Lord Vader._

He didn’t move as the squad of Death Troopers reached him, acknowledged the dead Jedi on the floor. He simply said. _Burn their bodies, burn the witch, burn the robe and the scraps. Then blast this tomb._

_-Yes my Lord !_

Vader left. He would remember that day. He would remember his failure. One day, if the Force really has a will, it will become clear again.

As the lightning hit them, Cal felt a pain much more excruciating than the electricity on the torture chair. All of this had led to this moment, he will die, far from the Light, far from the Jedi, the Sith will kill him. But she was with him, she had been true to her word, she had come with him till the end. They didn’t resist, it would not change anything. There is no death, there is the Force. She left before him, he was holding her hand, the void he felt inwardly made him hollow, empty, but he knew he would be with her soon, forever reunited. Their death would leave an echo. Even in this cursed place, their presence would alter the shadow of the Dark Side. His eyes caught a glimpse of the fallen Chosen One, the Force granted him a last vision. Vader was in a similar position, a young Jedi was in the same misery he was experiencing, the Emperor would kill him soon, the Jedi begged Vader to help him, _Father,_ it triggered something, Vader reacted, Anakin reacted, the Jedi was saved. A new hope would emerge. 

_Cal, it’s time._ He didn’t expect to hear that voice again, or was it in his head ? He smiled and closed his eyes, he had a lot to tell to his old Master.

It was blinding, but warm, friendly, joyful, painless. They were waiting for him. He could feel presences he had not felt for years, all one with the Force. Everything had an explanation now, he knew his place, he knew he had time to rest. His friends were here with him, he was safe. But most importantly, he felt her, she was here, waiting for him. His consciousness drifted to finally meet her in the Light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, do not hesitate to let me know what you think, thanks again !

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize for the mistakes in English, it is not my mother language, I am aware that a lot of mistakes hinder the reading... Feel free to let me know what I can improve, thank you !


End file.
